Norwich Volunteer Fire Dispute Continues as City and Yantic Agree to Mediation
A dispute between the City of Norwich, Connecticut and one of its volunteer fire companies continues to unfold, with the parties agreeing to mediation while a broader lawsuit filed by several volunteer departments proceeds in court.
As previously reported, the conflict began earlier this year when the City of Norwich suspended operations of Yantic Fire Engine Company No. 1, a volunteer department that had served the community for nearly 180 years. The action followed a disagreement over a new Unified Command policy implemented by the city that would place the volunteer companies under a standardized command structure overseen by the Norwich Fire Department and Fire Chief Samuel Wilson.
City officials required the volunteer companies to sign agreements acknowledging the new command structure. Yantic declined to sign the agreement by the city’s deadline. In response, the city removed the department from the 911 dispatch system, halted municipal funding, and reassigned fire protection for the Yantic district to the Norwich Fire Department.
In the days following the shutdown, Yantic officials stated publicly that the department intended to pursue legal action challenging the city’s decision.
Subsequent developments led to litigation involving multiple volunteer companies. Four Norwich volunteer fire departments—Yantic, Taftville, Occum, and Laurel Hill—filed a lawsuit against the city, the city manager, and the fire chief, challenging the city’s authority to impose the unified command structure. The suit asks the court to determine whether the city’s actions exceed the authority granted under the Norwich city charter.
Separate disputes also arose over the city’s repossession of apparatus and equipment assigned to the Yantic department. The city obtained a court order allowing it to reclaim the trucks, and city officials later reported that some equipment was missing when the apparatus were returned to municipal control.
A hearing related to that dispute had been scheduled in New London Superior Court. However, shortly before the hearing was to begin, attorneys for the parties agreed to continue the matter in order to pursue mediation. The court continued the case to allow time for the parties to attempt to resolve the dispute through the mediation process.
Since the shutdown of the Yantic department, the Norwich Fire Department has been providing fire protection coverage in the Yantic response district while the legal dispute involving the volunteer departments moves forward. More on the story.
