Date: Fri 23-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Fairfield-Hills-fire

Full Text:

Town Firefighters Cancel Mutual Aid Agreement With Fairfield Hills

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

As the Fairfield Hills Fire Department's membership dwindles, the town is

canceling its current "mutual aid" firefighting agreement with the state to

prevent the town from automatically being dispatched to all fire calls at the

state-owned Fairfield Hills.

The Board of Fire Commissioners voted Monday to notify the state that it is

terminating the existing mutual aid pact. In mutual aid agreements, fire

departments agree to provide one another with auxiliary firefighting services,

when requested.

The mutual aid firefighting agreement between the state and the town's five

volunteer fire companies, collectively known as the Newtown Fire Department,

allows either the town or the state to unilaterally terminate the agreement

provided that 10 days' notice of termination is provided in writing, according

to Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company Chief Bill Halstead.

Mr Halstead also serves as the paid Fairfield Hills fire chief for the state.

He retires from that job May 29.

When Mr Halstead retires, that will leave only four maintenance men at

Fairfield Hills to serve as its fire department. Fairfield Hills has about 1.5

million square feet of enclosed space on 650 acres. The property is valued at

more than $100 million.

The board's decision to terminate the mutual aid pact came at the suggestion

of Bill McCarthy, Newtown Hook and Ladder's representative on the Board of

Fire Commissioners.

The state presence at Fairfield Hills has decreased in recent years as the

state Department of Mental Health pursued its policy of patient

"deinstitutionalization." Fairfield Hills' psychiatric facilities closed in

December 1995. The state is seeking to either sell or rent its holdings there.

Continuing Talks

As the town cancels the mutual aid agreement, it has been continuing

preliminary talks on the state's request that the town assume regular

firefighting duties at Fairfield Hills.

If the town formally agrees to take over firefighting responsibilities there,

the Newtown Hook and Ladder Volunteer Fire Company would become the "first

responder" to Fairfield Hills fire calls. Other town fire companies would help

on those calls, as needed.

Civilian fire commissioner Lisa Goosman said if the Fairfield Hills Fire

Department should disband, the town would then be morally responsible to

assume firefighting duties there, especially in light of the town facilities

now operating there. The town has temporary offices in Canaan House for its

land use department, building department, health department, and parks and

recreation department. Shelton House temporarily contains the town's Booth

Library.

Board of Fire Commissioners Chairman Kevin Cragin stressed, though, that until

a possible firefighting agreement is reached between the town and the state,

it will remain the state's responsibility to respond to fire calls at

Fairfield Hills.

Mr Cragin told the fire commissioners Monday that he, Mr McCarthy, and Fire

Marshal George Lockwood met May 15 with representatives of the state Office of

Policy and Management (OPM) and the state Department of Public Works (DPW) to

discuss local firefighters' concerns about the state's request for a town

firefighting takeover.

"None of the answers were solid," Mr Cragin said of state officials' replies

to their questions. Fire officials are awaiting definitive answers to their

questions, he said.

"Everything we get back from the state we're obviously going to disclose to

the board," he said.

The town attorney would formulate a legal document explaining the agreement

which the state would sign with the town, Mr Cragin said.

Richard Nuclo, OPM's head of state assets management, wasn't available for

comment. Mr Nuclo is the state official who has overseen the shutdown of

Fairfield Hills and is reviewing its possible future uses.

Issues

Local firefighters are concerned about a number of issues which will affect

them if the town takes over firefighting coverage at Fairfield Hills.

A major issue is the future use of Fairfield Hills, Mr Cragin said. Future

uses of the property, however, remain unclear.

Other issues include: how many fire calls can be expected there; how Garner

Correctional Institution fits into the firefighting picture; how much

firefighting equipment the state has at Fairfield Hills; how fire inspections

and investigations would be conducted there; and how the planned Fairfield

Hills bypass road will affect firefighting, Mr Cragin said.

State officials provided some answers to questions on these issues but more

answers are required, Mr Cragin said.

"We've got to get our answers in place... We have to do what's in the best

interest of the town," he said.

Mr Cragin said local firefighters don't want to be involved in providing

firefighting services at Garner. Garner is a high-security state prison on

Nunnawauk Road which houses more than 700 criminals convicted of major crimes.

Mr Cragin noted that when the state closed Fairfield Hills in December 1995,

the town was told the state would provide firefighting services there for

several years.

Now one and one-half years later, the state wants the town to provide those

services, he said.

Mr Cragin has said that any agreement the town reaches with the state

regarding firefighting shouldn't be a permanent agreement.