Occum Fire Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2026

Statement from the Yantic, Laurel Hill, Occum, and Taftville Fire Department Chiefs on Current Status of Operations

NORWICH, Conn. – While the City of Norwich ultimately chose not to close the Occum, Taftville, and Laurel Hill volunteer fire departments last week for not signing the Consolidated Command agreement by the deadline, the fact remains that Yantic has been shut down for almost four months at the unnecessary cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars to Norwich taxpayers.

Additionally, the actions to date by certain Democratic City Councilors, City Manager Salomone, Fire Chief Wilson, and the leadership of Norwich Firefighters Local 892 have unnecessarily created a hostile work environment for our volunteers.

The community has spoken loudly on the issue and does not want what is being proposed. Yet, these City of Norwich leaders continue their disinformation campaign against volunteers, claiming “systemic safety gaps” without presenting all the facts.

Over a year ago, volunteer leadership wrote to City Manager Salomone about the MDT/CAD dispatch system issues, and he never responded. We raised our concerns during the monthly Public Safety meetings, and there was no movement. And then, in January of this year, even Chief Wilson acknowledged the issues during the “Norwich Fire Service” meeting, but there has still been no working together to find a solution.

Meanwhile, other senior Norwich Fire Department officials have recently acknowledged to volunteer leadership that some of the response issues cited publicly to date by the city and the union regarding volunteers are directly linked to notification delays from MDT/CAD dispatch system failures.

It is also concerning that there has been no accountability for the silence and inaction by the Mayor and other Democratic members of the City Council. We elect leaders to lead during times like these and work collaboratively with all parties to find a solution—not let a few individuals push their agenda without asking any questions or seeing what the other side has to say on the issue.

Let’s be clear: the closure of Yantic and the push to close Occum, Taftville, and Laurel Hill is being driven by these specific City of Norwich officials, not the volunteers. The city has neither brought nor been willing to discuss any meaningful change to its proposed contract during previous mediation attempts, nor has it been willing to put Yantic back in service while negotiations are taking place. Some of the incidents cited by the city would have been mitigated if Yantic had been in service.

If the City of Norwich leaders pushing for Consolidated Command are so confident they have the public's best interests in mind, then why not put it to a vote and let Norwich’s taxpayers decide?

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🚑 Exactly 1 week until the first day of class and seats are almost full! Are you registered? 🚒

Our inaugural EMT Initial course at the Occum Fire Department is almost here.

Seats continue to fill as the start date gets closer.

Minimum age: 16 to test for the NREMT.

This course includes:
• EMT education aligned with Connecticut OEMS standards
• Hands on psychomotor skills training
• NREMT cognitive exam preparation
• Realistic EMS scenarios based on field operations

Why students are signing up
• Training inside an active firehouse
• Small class size with direct instructor support
• Real equipment and practical application
• Preparation for both testing and real EMS calls

Whether you are starting your EMS career, joining the fire service, or preparing for healthcare experience, this course was built to prepare you for success.

Class begins June 8th.

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Train where the job happens.
Earn your EMT certification with confidence.