Another Volunteer Firefighter Department in Connecticut Fades Away

Was it really a surprise that another seemingly untouchable and vital business in Connecticut has announced that they will permanently close in the near future?

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When it's tough to earn enough money to even stay housed, it's even tougher to find anyone willing to volunteer their time in 2025, and yet another volunteer fire department is making the difficult decision to shut down after decades of serving their community.

According to a joint press release from the Office of Mayor Elinor Carbone of Torrington and the Torringford Volunteer Fire Department, after 68 years of serving residents of Torrington, New Hartford, and other surrounding towns that required mutual aid, the Torringford Volunteer Fire Department located on E. Main Street in Torrington will shut down operations as of April 1, 2025. The blame? What most of the other threatened volunteer organizations have faced recently - Lack of Volunteers.

According to press release, Mayor Carbone states that the city has invested over $10,000 over the past several years on signage, social media and radio ads, banners and space at events, the battle to recruit someone that will wake up at 2:30am to douse a car fire or rescue your dog from the storm drain is not worth the expenditure or effort. The Burrville Volunteer Fire Department closed in Torrington back in 2017, as did Morris' in 2018, and Hamden's Mt. Carmel VFD in 2023. Avon recently had issues with response times to local emergencies, will this continue? Thank you volunteers, you've done way more than I ever have to better lives all around us.