New Canaan Fire Commission orders $7,600 repair for Engine 4
Other Committee · Meeting of January 13, 2026
New Canaan Fire Commission orders a $7,600 pump fix for Engine 4 after a union safety grievance. Lieutenant Kevin Betty's grievance, filed the day of the meeting, said the reserve pumper ran in frontline service after an uncertified, in-house wiring fix he and firefighter Ed Quarl made was only ordered removed in November over liability concerns. Fire Chief Basset said he paused funded repairs in February 2025 due to budget constraints and other apparatus needs.
A retired firefighter, Mike, told commissioners, "I'm just concerned about making sure that the guys are safe, our customers, taxpayers are safe." Commissioners agreed to the $7,600 repair and a full pump diagnosis, with a further $50,000 possibly needed to restore full 1,500-gallon-per-minute capacity, and will respond formally to the grievance at their February 10 meeting. New Canaan's FY26 fire budget stood at 53 percent spent as of January 2.
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Source: the Other Committee meeting of January 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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