The most important issue for the Fire Service this week in Connecticut is the Governor’s adjustment to the state budget for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2019 in HB-5035. A close look at page 6 of the Governor’s Bill ( https://www.cga.ct.gov/2018/TOB/h/pdf/2018HB-05035-R00-HB.pdf ) reveals that operating budgets for the Regional Fire Schools have been zeroed out as in past proposals from Governor Malloy. However, this latest budget proposal shows brackets [ ] around line items T153 and T158 – T166 (the nine Regional Fire Schools), and, that indicates that these budget line items totaling $780,741 are to be altogether eliminated from the state budget if this current proposal is passed in its present form. In fact, it is our opinion that new legislation would actually be required to insert the bracketed [ ] line items back into the state budget moving forward. We feel that passage of this version of the Governor’s budget would be devastating to our Regional Fire School System.

This week, there is a hearing to address HB-5035 and there is an opportunity for public testimony. The Joint Committee on Appropriations’ Regulation and Protection sub-committee will have a public hearing on Friday February 23rd, 2018 at the Legislative Office Building in Room 2C at 5:30PM. I realize that this may be a difficult time for most to plan to attend to offer oral testimony, however, I ask that our membership submit written testimony this week to let the Appropriations sub-committee know that we oppose having the Regional Fire Schools removed from the state budget. Please, we need to make this clear to the members of Appropriations that we feel it makes no sense for Connecticut to bond millions of dollars for much needed fire schools and fail to provide funding to operate them.

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 02-16-18 in PDF format

Also, please read: CSFA 2018 Fire Service Bill Tracking: 02-16-18