Newington Fire Commissioners Fault Architect Over Firehouse Delay
Other Committee · Meeting of September 10, 2026
Newington fire commissioners fault a stalled architect over the Company 3/Company 4 firehouse renovation. The board unanimously approved routine items, including the August 13 minutes, monthly communications and a ledger status called "right on schedule," while pressing for movement on the long-delayed renovation after three planning meetings were canceled. A speaker identified as Kim, describing a Town Council role, warned that apparatus parked outside due to insurance concerns risks winter damage, saying "we cannot have fire apparatus sitting outside in the snow," and noted the same architect had called the building structurally sound.
Commissioners separately reported new exhaust-removal systems are now installed at all five town firehouses, and said a planned ladder truck purchase will wait for equipment-reserve funding after July 1 amid a national four-year wait time for new fire apparatus. The meeting opened with a moment of silence marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,218 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of September 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
Opening and September 11 Remembrance
The Newington Board of Fire Commissioners opened its September 10 meeting at 7 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The presiding chief reminded members to remember "the 343 FDNY firefighters that died on that day." The question before the board at this point was purely ceremonial: mark the anniversary before turning to business. Later in the meeting, commissioners returned to the subject when discussing a joint police-fire-EMS remembrance ceremony scheduled for the evening of September 11, described as open to the public. In closing remarks, one commissioner recalled personally being "locked in the firehouse at Pratt" for an extended period on the day of the attacks in 2001, describing a day room full of firefighters "crying their eyes out" after learning what had happened. Another commissioner added that fire crews that morning were dispatched to a routine call when pagers, not cell phones, began alerting them to the unfolding attacks. "9-11 never gets easier. And it hurts just as bad tomorrow as it did 25 years ago," one member said. [00:23:28]
Minutes and Communications
Commissioners moved, seconded and unanimously approved by voice vote the minutes of the August 13, 2026 meeting without discussion. A subsequent motion to accept the month's communications also passed unanimously by voice vote. Neither item generated debate; both were procedural steps required to keep the board's record current.
Chief's Monthly Report and Personnel Notes
The chief's monthly report covered training, promotions and command-level visits. Three Newington firefighters are attending Hartford County Fire School's fall session, with the chief also weighing whether to host a locally run fire academy class for Fire Officer II and IV certification; as of the meeting, the department was still waiting on available dates from the academy and it appeared unlikely to happen this cycle. The report also listed a schedule of command-level visits: Deputy Chief Mark Waters visited on September 9, Chief John Oates is expected in October, and a visit from Deputy Assistant Chief Jake Curtis-Varone remains to be determined. The transcript did not specify the purpose of these visits or their home departments.
A commissioner noted that the chief's written report had omitted one piece of good news: Captain Palazzi recently completed his Fire Instructor III certification, giving him both Fire Officer III and Fire Instructor III credentials. "That's pretty awesome. That's very impressive," a commissioner said in response, and the board offered its congratulations.
Membership, Cadets and Community Outreach
Department membership is holding steady at 95, commissioners were told, though the cadet division has temporarily thinned after a group of cadets graduated into full department membership. Three new applications for the cadet program have come in since, described by commissioners as "a good thing." Discussion turned to whether the department could distribute a recruitment flyer at Newington High School to build early interest in the cadet pipeline; a staff member identified only as Craig was said to coordinate outreach with the high school to help introduce the program to students.
Upcoming Events
Commissioners reviewed a calendar of fall events. A kickball game against the Newington Police Department, framed as a friendly interdepartmental rivalry, is set for October 4 after previously being discussed for an earlier date; invitations will go out to the Town Council. In place of the department's traditional softball fundraiser, this year's event will be a cornhole tournament featuring a pizza truck, an ice cream truck and a bounce house for children. Separately, the cadet division's pancake breakfast, originally planned for late September, has been pushed back roughly a month for scheduling reasons. The chief said the department's fall picnic would likely begin around noon, with further details to follow.
Ledger Status
A commissioner reported reviewing the department's ledger and finding it "right on schedule" a few months into the fiscal cycle. The board moved, seconded and approved the ledger status unanimously by voice vote, without further discussion.
Old Business: The Company 3 and Company 4 Firehouse Renovation
Background and stakes: The renovation of the older firehouse shared by Company 3 and Company 4 has been under discussion for an extended period, and commissioners' patience with the pace of design work appeared to be wearing thin. The question before the board was simply a status update, but it turned into the meeting's most substantive exchange.
A commissioner said the town-retained architect's design team had not met recently because "the architect needed some time," and that three planning meetings had since been canceled. Commissioners contrasted the pace unfavorably with a separate, newly designed firehouse project handled by a different design firm. "We had a complete brand new firehouse designed and ready to move faster than they're doing on a renovation of a firehouse. It just doesn't make sense to me," one commissioner said, adding, "this is not rebuilding the whole firehouse. This is basically taking the shell and just cleaning it up." Another member replied simply, "we agree, we agree."
During the meeting's second public participation period, a speaker identified by other attendees as Kim, who described involvement with the Town Council, pressed the chief on how the architect had been selected in the first place. The chief explained that the public building committee's own architect is drawn from a pool of three firms the town retains, and that one of the three was assigned to this project; the chief said he was not certain the assignment went out for competitive selection beyond that pool. Kim said the slow return of paperwork was, in her assessment, not the fault of the volunteer building committee but of the architect, and warned that further delay risked pushing the project into spring: "We're getting close to winter time, so we're almost at the point where if we don't get moving now, that whole project will be [stalled] until the spring."
Kim also raised what she described as a contradiction: the department had been told to remove all apparatus from the firehouse over insurance concerns, yet the same architect had assessed the building as structurally sound. "If the building is structurally sound, we should be able to put our apparatus back in there," she said, describing existing damage including a hole in the roof and broken windows, and warning that a truck currently parked outside risked the same water damage that recently forced a full roof replacement on the department's command post. "We cannot have fire apparatus sitting outside in the snow," she said. [00:16:49] The chief responded that a former town official, referred to in the meeting only as Jonathan, had said he would look into the insurance question before a staffing transition intervened, leaving the matter unresolved as of the meeting. Kim asked that at minimum the apparatus be kept under protective covers if it must remain outside.
Procedural steps and outcome: No formal vote was taken on the renovation item; commissioners directed continued monitoring and indicated they would keep pressing the architect and the building committee for movement. No next-meeting date was set specifically for this item, though it is a standing old-business topic expected to recur next month.
Implications and what is next: Delay carries a real cost. Commissioners said apparatus stored outdoors risks winter damage, and a stalled design process could push the renovation's start into spring 2027, extending the period the affected companies operate without a finished firehouse.
Old Business: Apparatus and Equipment Updates
A second engine, referred to as "Service 2," was reported nearly complete after repairs, with the department awaiting one final part before returning it to service. Separately, commissioners were told that exhaust-removal systems are now fully installed at all five Newington firehouses as of September 10, with remaining fine-tuning and a calibration process called "startups" expected to wrap up by the following Monday or Tuesday. "Awesome. Big job. Kudos, my hat goes off to the staff," one commissioner said, crediting staff members identified only as Niko and Austin for managing the installation. A commissioner who observed part of the work independently said the installation contractor "have done this all over the Northeast, Boston, Providence… they did a beautiful job." The chief said training and standard operating procedures on the new systems will follow now that they are active. Repair of a firehouse burn room remains in progress with no completion date given.
Old Business: New Ladder Truck and the National Apparatus Market
Background and stakes: The department is planning to replace its ladder truck, but the discussion was shaped by a national supply problem. A commissioner referenced a Channel 3 news report describing four-year wait times and sharply rising prices for new fire apparatus nationally, attributing the bottleneck to consolidation among roughly 30 U.S. fire truck manufacturers now owned by three parent companies, a situation the commissioner said Congress "is definitely looking into."
Substantive content and outcome: The chief said the truck's specifications are largely finalized, but funding depends on the town's equipment reserve account, which becomes available after July 1 of the next budget cycle. Commissioners agreed to remove the ladder truck item from next month's agenda and revisit it once funding is in place, with no formal vote required.
Chief Officer Evaluations and Assistant Fire Marshal Search
The board confirmed that all Chief Officer evaluation forms due this month have been received. Evaluations and reviews were scheduled for the following Tuesday, September 15, beginning at 6 p.m., with individual sessions staggered afterward. On the assistant fire marshal search, the chief said he intended to follow up with a staff contact identified only as Heather, and with an individual referred to as Mr. Hoffman, regarding a job posting expected to close around September 11. One or two applicants had been identified as of the meeting. The chief said he hoped to resolve the hire before the sitting fire marshal, referred to in the meeting only by the first name John, leaves on a trip in October, so the new assistant could cover in his absence.
Closing Commissioner Remarks
In closing remarks, commissioners congratulated a colleague identified only as Sherry on becoming a grandmother. One commissioner, identified in the meeting as Commissioner Saturday, said attendance had been strong at a recent interdepartmental football event and reaffirmed pride in the department. Commissioners also exchanged a lighthearted birthday greeting for an attendee identified only as Jim, described as a longtime presence at meetings. The chief closed with a reminder to residents heading into fall: check smoke alarms in October and use caution with fireplaces and heating systems as the weather turns. The board then voted unanimously to adjourn.
The department's chief presided over the meeting and delivered the monthly report; he was referred to once in discussion as Chief Regina, though the meeting did not otherwise use his name. A board member identified as Commissioner Saturday delivered closing remarks; a colleague referred to only as Jim was welcomed with a birthday greeting; a member or attendee referred to only as Johnny made a brief closing remark referencing veterans. Several other commissioners spoke throughout the meeting but were not identified by name in the transcript. The town fire marshal was noted as absent for the evening; he is referred to elsewhere in the meeting only by the first name John. Kim, a public speaker who described involvement with the Town Council, spoke twice during public participation, raising questions about the Company 3/Company 4 architect selection and apparatus storage. No other members of the public spoke. Staff referenced but not confirmed present: Craig, who coordinates cadet-recruitment outreach with the high school; Niko and Austin, credited with overseeing the firehouse exhaust-system installation; Heather, handling the assistant fire marshal hiring process; and an individual referred to as Mr. Hoffman. Captain Palazzi was recognized in absentia for completing his Fire Instructor III certification. Visiting or affiliated command officers referenced in the chief's report: Deputy Chief Mark Waters (visited September 9), Chief John Oates (expected in October) and Deputy Assistant Chief Jake Curtis-Varone (visit date to be determined); their departments and the purpose of their visits were not specified in the meeting.
Hartford County Fire School — training academy where three Newington firefighters are attending the fall session, cited in the chief's monthly report. Newington Police Department — opponent in an October 4 kickball fundraiser and co-participant, with fire and EMS, in the September 11 remembrance ceremony. Newington Town Council — invited annually to department events; a council-affiliated speaker (Kim) raised the firehouse renovation and apparatus concerns during public comment. Board of Education — cited as another town body traditionally invited to department events. Channel 3 (WFSB) — television news broadcast cited by a commissioner as the source for reporting on nationwide fire-apparatus wait times and manufacturer consolidation. U.S. Congress — referenced as reportedly examining consolidation among fire truck manufacturers. August 13, 2026 Board of Fire Commissioners meeting minutes — approved without discussion at this meeting. Chief Officer Evaluation forms — internal personnel documents confirmed received, driving the September 15 evaluation schedule. Town-retained architect and public building committee — the entities at the center of the Company 3/Company 4 firehouse renovation delay discussed at length during old business and public comment.