Connecticut State cuts may put heat on fire departments

[Flashpoint 94]

Not all of southwestern Connecticut's fire departments would be equally affected by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's proposal to slash state funding for regional fire training schools, but local officials seem united in their opposition to the plan.

The governor has proposed cuts totaling nearly $750,000 to the state's nine regional schools -- money that subsidizes the costs of instructors, maintenance and utilities.

Take for instance a basic fire training course. That course costs about $750. With the proposed cuts from the state, a course like that would cost about $1,500

Article: http://www.newstimes.com/printpromotion/article/Proposed-cuts-to-regional-training-schools-have-6110835.php

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Elections have consequences. The state employees and even the State Firefighters Association bought his line of BS hook, line, and sinker. He's said for years that fire training is a "local issue" and why anyone thought he was going to fulfill his promises is beyond me.

Edited March 4, 2015 by SageVigiles

[AFS1970 504]

And by issuel rule he did not mean paying for it out of city money, at least not when he was mayor.

[Dinosaur 844]

So the state would stop subsidizing the training and the entire cost would have to be borne by the recipient (local agency)?

Kind of a damned if you do and damned if you don't scenario, isn't it? I mean either the state continues to subsidize and everyone pays or they don't and the individual towns have to bear the expense. Either way, the taxpayers are paying.

[FFPCogs 863]

So the state would stop subsidizing the training and the entire cost would have to be borne by the recipient (local agency)?

Kind of a damned if you do and damned if you don't scenario, isn't it? I mean either the state continues to subsidize and everyone pays or they don't and the individual towns have to bear the expense. Either way, the taxpayers are paying.

Or since the State of CT has no law or regulation stating that interior FFs must be certified, departments may have to just forgo the state certification program and handle training on their own as their budgets allow. Communities lose, instructors lose and worst of all new firefighters lose...thanks Dannell you a$$hole.

[Dinosaur 844]

Or since the State of CT has no law or regulation stating that interior FFs must be certified, departments may have to just forgo the state certification program and handle training on their own as their budgets allow. Communities lose, instructors lose and worst of all new firefighters lose...thanks Dannell you a$$hole.

Don't they have to follow OSHA and/or NFPA? How can there be no standard for FF?

[SageVigiles 1,194]

They have to follow OSHA's Fire Brigade standard, but that's a joke. State Statute does not require them to be NFPA certified, though most individual departments do (I can't think of any that don't require it, except in the instance when a department allows a member with out-of-state certification to join)