by Donald Eng
HARTFORD, CT – As state comptroller, Sean Scanlon is more accustomed to dealing with financial emergencies than those involving emergency responders.
But it was Scanlon, backed by fire officials from across the state, who presented a report on the state of firefighting in Connecticut on Tuesday. The bottom line, he said, is that firefighter recruitment and retention in Connecticut is in a state of crisis.
“As comptroller, I oversee two key benefits for many Connecticut firefighters: their healthcare and their pensions,” Scanlon said. “Given the work we do on pensions and healthcare, I decided to form the (firefighter recruitment) task force within our office.”
Scanlon, the grandson of a New Haven firefighter who received the Medal of Valor, said he thought he would become a firefighter himself, and was a Fire Explorer in high school.
“Life took a different path, but my interest in and support of the fire service never changed,” he said.
According to the report, fewer people are pursuing firefighting as a career and the number of volunteer firefighters is also dwindling, dropping by 62.7% (22,350 to 8,337) from 2016-17 to 2025, according to the report.
As a result, the total number of firefighters in the state dropped by half over that time, from 26,800 to 13,401. Career firefighters have increased by about 6.5%, although the average age of a career firefighter in the state is just under 40 and only 9% of career firefighters are under 30. Also, 83% of state firefighters are between 30 and 49 years old, and only 8% are over 50.
“Fewer individuals joining could be indicative of a lower desirability to pursue firefighting right after high school,” according to the report.
The decline in volunteers has left some of Connecticut’s rural areas – which are more likely to rely on volunteer departments – in a bind. The Torrington Volunteer Fire Dept. closed effective April 1 and Pomfret has seen a 50% drop in volunteers.
The loss of volunteers forces communities to come up with new coverage plans, stretching existing resources more thinly or increasing their reliance on career firefighters, with the resulting increase in expense.
The decline in firefighters does not have any single cause, but Scanlon said the long-term risks of the career could be a factor. Firefighters are at higher risk for several kinds of cancer and those risks, combined with reductions in health and pension benefits due to budget constraints, can deter potential recruits, according to the report.
Ronnell Higgins, commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, called the situation a public safety crisis. He touted the pathways to a firefighting career that the department had opened in the state, and encouraged girls and women to look into a firefighting career.
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnell Higgins speaks at a press conference at the State Capitol on May 6, 2025. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie
“I want to emphasize the need for strategic pathways in the state of Connecticut so that we can get more people into the fire service … and more people protecting our cities and our towns,” he said.
North Haven Fire Chief Paul Januszewski said it was time to “sound the alarm” that firefighter recruitment and retention needed to become a high priority. Tax abatements no longer were a sufficient draw for volunteers, considering the hours of training required, he said.
North Haven Fire Chief Paul Januszewski speaks at a press conference on the state of firefighting in Connecticut on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the State Capitol. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie
On the career side, vacancies that used to draw hundreds of applicants now draw a small fraction of that, he said.
The DESPP is in the process of creating a strategic plan for the fire service in Connecticut, according to the report. That plan will require additional funding and – when complete – will include comprehensive recommendations. But for now, the report made three recommendations.
First, the state should create and maintain a list of each department’s chief. Currently there is no requirement to keep track of department leadership.
The report also recommends the creation of a state fire department map.
“The exact coverage of each fire department is not well known, which potentially hampers recruitment and retention efforts,” according to the report.
Finally, the report recommends the state conduct a firefighter census at regular intervals.
“The fluidity and constant attrition of the firefighting profession means that data on the number of firefighters needs to be constantly updated,” the report states.