Update on Emergency Services

Dear Fellow Townspeople:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Town of Salem continues to staff 2 paid Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians on Monday through Friday from 7am to 5 pm. All of our paid Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians are well qualified with years of experience. 

On Monday-Friday from 4am-7am, and from 5pm - 7pm we schedule and pay for an On-Call service of 2 Emergency Responders. 

The Gardner Lake Fire Company has their members scheduled for weekends, holidays, and several evenings per week. The Town of Salem currently reimburses the Gardner Lake Fire Company for this service. 

The Salem Fire Company initiated an R1 service on Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 7 pm in November 2019. This enhances the service already provided on the weekends. 

Emergency Services Administrator, Mike Bednarz along with my liaison, Selectman Ed Chmielewski have met several times with the Chiefs of the Salem and Gardner Lake Fire Departments. Emergency Services Administrator, Mike Bednarz has many years of experience in roles as a paid firefighter and an administrator. The Masters Degree he is acquiring is in Emergency Management. Selectman Ed Chmielewski also has an extensive background in emergency services as well.

We are very fortunate for our volunteers in our Emergency Services. Whether they are a Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, or Fire Police, they invest many hours of training and meetings to serve our residents in times of Emergencies. 

If you or someone you know is interested in serving our Town, please contact Meredith at 860-859-3873 ext. 100. 

Volunteerism has been on the decline for Emergency Services. This has been a nationwide issue. Studies have shown that with the hours of required training and individual’s busy lifestyles are the main reason for this decline. 

Looking at these trends, it is inevitable that our Town will eventually need to hire more paid staff for the safety of our residents. Many towns in Southeastern Connecticut have also realized this fact. 

We will continue to keep you informed as we balance the needs of our Town’s Emergency Services with paid staff, on call staff, and volunteers.   

Respectfully, 

Kevin T Lyden 

First Selectman