Fire Commisson ordinance moves forward

By Scott Benjamin

BROOKFIELD – Sitting among a sparse crowd in room 209 of the Municipal Center, Selectman Bob Belden told the other two board members that, “It is ready to go.”

It appeared a year ago that it “was ready to go.”

In August 2025 town firefighters and emergency medical personnel occupied most of the seats in room 133 – the largest meeting space in the building – primarily expressing caution – not opposition – to a plan that would appoint a five-member commission that would include a representative from each of the fire companies – Candlewood and Headquarters – three at-large members and ex-officio members that are connected to fire and emergency medical services in Brookfield.

Some of the speakers – including Candlewood Company Chief Gary Gramling – asked for at least 90 days to review the details.

Belden had made a presentation to the selectmen a month earlier and had been meeting with leaders of the fire companies for months on the proposal.

Following the public comment from the fire and emergency medical personnel, Belden said they made some “amazing points” and he and First Selectman Steve Dunn and Tara Carr, who was then serving as a selectman, voted to table action with no particular deadline for reconsideration.

After going over the nuances of the commission/ordinance, Belden said a proposed draft had gone to Thomas Beecher, the town attorney, for review, and the fire officials hoped that the commission/ordinance would be established before the next “budget process” begins later this year.

The selectmen have scheduled a public hearing on the proposal for Wednesday, August `19, 6:45 p.m., in room 133 of the Municipal Center.

Dunn has said an outside consultant had recommended that a fire commission be established and that the new panel would be an “advocate” for the fire and emergency personnel.

Fire officials have praised the town’s financial commitment through the years to the departments’ budgets.

On another topic, the selectmen have not yet received a recommendation from the ad-hoc Police Building Committee, which began deliberations about 18 months ago.

Initially, Dunn said he hoped to have a proposal during the summer so that the plan to expand police facilities could be on the November 3 election ballot.

He said the committee hasn’t been able to get a final estimate from its architect. Dunn said once that happens the committee will present its proposal to the Police Commission and t hen the selectmen.

The current police headquarters at 63 Silvermine Road opened about 40 years ago. Dunn said that for some time it has no longer conformed with federal standards.

Former Police Chief Jay Purcell, who chairs the committee, said at a May 16 public input session that after studying different proposals, the best option would be to build a new headquarters on the corner parcel of the municipal campus on
Silvermine Road. The town had purchased that land about six years ago to add to the municipal campus, which had been established at a 1981 referendum.

He said the current headquarters is structure ally sound and could be a new site for the emergency medical ambulance headquarters and possibly other municipal agencies if it vacated.

Dunn has said his initial goal was to keep the new facilities at $25 million or below. He said following the recent selectmen’s meeting that may be difficult to achieve with the surge in construction prices.

He said the selectmen want to proceed slowly and “engage as many residents” as possible in explaining why the new facilities are needed.

Another ad-hoc committee is studying the future of t the site of the former Center Elementary School (CES) and should be presenting the results of a structural review later this year.

Dunn said preliminary estimates indicate that it would cost at least $45 million to refurbish the current school into a community center that would possibly include a library and recreation facilities.

He said the selectmen have long maintained that the police facilities are the town’s top capital priority. Residents are currently making bond payments on the $78.1 million construction of Candlewood Lake Elementary School. That project was approved at referendum in 2019 and the school opened in 2023.

Dunn said t hat it is not even possible for the Parks & Recreation Department to, for example, utilize the gymnasium at the former CES since it is no longer a school and to use it for a different purpose would require upgrading the structure to current building codes. The last major renovation of CES was completed in 1996.

On another issue, the selectmen announced at the recent meeting that there are 13 vacancies to be filled on boards and commissions.

Dunn said that is a typical number.

He praised the volunteers serving on the municipal boards and commissions, saying, “The demands placed on the members is greater than it was in the past,” alluding to the increase in state mandates.

Dunn explained, “In the current environment it is hard to get people to volunteer because they’re afraid they are going to be attacked or belittled given the current national environment.”

He said in Brookfield those fears are unwarranted.

Dunn asserted, “The members on the boards and commission act very civilly toward each other without regard of the party affiliation.”