The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department gave the Board of Finance a detailed description of its needs and operations during the Board’s meeting Tuesday night, at the invitation of finance chairman Michael Sconyers.
Sconyers said the company, whose operations budget is funded by the town, had appeared before the board to explain its budgetary needs only once before in his memory.
Assistant Fire Chief Matt Ludwig described the operations, reporting that the volunteers logged 5,500 hours last year in training and responses, a figure that does not include hours spent writing grants, serving on committees and the like. The company currently has 55 active members, 16 of whom are certified interior firefighters and 23 who attack fires from outside structures.
The cost of operating a volunteer fire department is formidable. Ludwig said the current price to replace a fire truck is $1.1 million and the time to design and construct a truck can consume three years.
The company rotates its vehicles every 30 years, five years longer than is recommended and now needs to replace Engine 30. The truck was refurbished in 2014 to add another 10 years to its lifespan.
The firefighters explained that there are three paths to replacement. First would to purchase a new truck at more than $1 million. A second option would be to refurbish an existing truck at approximately 70 to 80 percent of the new purchase price. The downside of this option is that the vehicle would be out of operation for two years and it must be replaced either through a rental or by some other means.
The third possibility is to buy a used truck at about half its lifespan, a problematic option as trucks are designed for the physical conditions in which they must work. The firefighters pointed out that Norfolk is rural, hilly, with homes in locations that can be difficult to reach. The company has one smaller truck that is sent up long, narrow driveways that cannot accommodate the bigger trucks that are 33 feet long and weigh 47 tons.
Fire trucks are not the only formidable expenses facing the department. For instance, turnout gear can cost $5,000 for each set and must be replaced every five years; air packs used by interior firefighters cost $10,000 each, and tires on the fire trucks, which must by law be replaced every seven years, are “very, very expensive.”
Even insurance is an issue. Ludwig said Norfolk does not insure its trucks for full replacement so if one is damaged beyond repair the town might get as little as $10,000 or $15,000 for an older truck. “We need to make sure that the new firehouse is properly insured,” he said.
An additional $11,000 expense is encountered for annual OSHA-required medical evaluations for the 38 firefighters who actively fight fires, for training, repairs of equipment and the like.
The town’s 2025-2026 budget includes $132,000 for the department’s operation. For other expenses the company seeks grants, holds fundraisers and sends out an annual appeal letter.
Ludwig said the company has applied for and received an aggregate $1.5 million in grant money since 2010 to lessen the impact on taxpayers.