Southington Fire Department

10/14/2026

Southington Fire Department | Statement Regarding SAFER Grant Decision

The Southington Fire Department is disappointed by the Town Council’s decision not to accept the $3.03 million FEMA SAFER Grant awarded to our community.

This award represented a significant opportunity to address longstanding staffing deficiencies, improve emergency response capabilities, and provide more consistent fire protection throughout Southington.

We recognize that accepting the grant would have required a substantial short- and long-term financial commitment from the Town. However, the operational challenges that prompted this application remain unchanged. The staffing limitations, response-time disparities, and reduced coverage in portions of our community will continue to require attention.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels who supported this initiative, as well as the Board of Fire Commissioners, department members, and residents who contributed to this effort.

Moving forward, department leadership will work with the Board of Fire Commissioners and Town Officials to evaluate our operational needs and identify responsible, sustainable solutions.

While the outcome of this process is disappointing, our commitment to the residents, businesses, and visitors of Southington remains unwavering.

Our members will continue to serve this community with the professionalism, dedication, and commitment to public safety that you expect and deserve.

Southington Fire Department

10/09/2026

🌟Please join us in congratulating our members on their promotions last night:

*Captain Daniel Comen promoted to Deputy Chief.

*Lieutenant Kevin Salmeri promoted to Captain

*Firefighter Michael DeFeo promoted to Lieutenant

Best of luck in your new positions❗️

10/05/2026

🔥 Summer St. Residential Structure Fire

At 1:32 p.m., the Southington Fire Department responded to 224 Summer St. for a reported odor investigation. Upon arrival, crews found smoke conditions in the basement and attic of a three-story residence.

The incident was upgraded to a working structure fire, bringing additional resources from Meriden and Bristol to the scene. Plainville, Cheshire, and New Britain Fire Departments provided station coverage during the incident.

Crews located fire extending through the walls of the second floor into the third floor and attic space. Firefighters quickly opened up the affected areas, located the hidden fire, and contained the spread.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Southington Fire Marshal’s Office.

We thank our mutual-aid partners for their assistance both at the scene and providing coverage throughout the Town of Southington.

Matt Van Ness photo credit

10/05/2026

Join us for the Southington Fire Department’s First Annual Open House! 🚒🔥

Come meet your local firefighters, tour Fire Station 3, and get an up-close look at the apparatus, equipment, and capabilities our members use to serve the community every day.

📅 Saturday, October 24
⏰ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Fire Station 3 — 35 Clark Street, Milldale

The day will feature apparatus and equipment displays, live demonstrations, games and activities, giveaways, refreshments, and more.

Bring the family, meet our members, and learn more about your Southington Fire Department. We look forward to seeing you!

🌧️ Rain Date: Sunday, October 25

Save Lives – Stop Fires.

10/05/2026

🔥 Fire Prevention Week 2026 is here❗️This year’s theme is “Charge Into Fire Safety™. Safe Charging Is a Superpower,” to remind you to stay fire safe when using electric devices. If your device feels hot, stop using it and let it cool down. Visit National Fire Protection Association for more information

10/04/2026

🍎 APPLE HARVEST FESTIVAL | FIRE & EMS COVERAGE

It’s been a busy opening weekend at the Apple Harvest Festival!

Since Friday, Southington Fire Department personnel have responded to 20 calls for service associated with the festival, while continuing to provide uninterrupted Fire, EMS, and all-hazards response throughout the rest of the community.

The Apple Harvest Festival brings thousands of visitors into downtown Southington, requiring dedicated public safety resources and coordinated planning throughout the event.

We appreciate the work of our firefighters, AMR staff, dispatchers, SPD personnel, festival staff, and all of our public safety partners working together to keep the festival and our community safe.

Save Lives – Stop Fires

10/04/2026

🍎 season going strong!

10/01/2026

Southington’s SAFER Award — By the Numbers

🏆 Only SAFER award in Connecticut

🏆 Largest SAFER award in New England

🏆 2nd largest SAFER award in the Northeast

🇺🇸 11th largest SAFER award in the United States

At more than $3 million, Southington’s award ranks among some of the largest fire department staffing grants in the country — alongside major metropolitan and regional departments including Los Angeles, Fort Worth, Sacramento, St. Paul, Sarasota County and Palm Beach County.

For a community and fire department of Southington’s size, the national scale of this award underscores the significance of the investment in local firefighter staffing and emergency response.

FY2025 FEMA SAFER awards announced to date

FEMA awarded $648 million in grant funding to fire departments and other emergency response organizations across the country: fema.gov/press-release/20260930/fema-awards-648-million-more-1600-fire-departments-and-other-first-responder

First responders play an essential role in keeping Americans safe. FEMA provides resources to ensure they have the equipment, staff, and training they need to quickly and effectively respond to emergencies. By supporting fire departments and first responder organizations, FEMA strengthens the resilience of communities nationwide.

09/30/2026

Our service extends far beyond fighting fires. As an all-hazards department, our members bring specialized skills and experience to a wide range of emergencies.

Mountain rescues present a unique challenge shared by relatively few Connecticut communities, with Southington among those facing these incidents most frequently. These complex rescues demand specialized training, equipment, and teamwork—capabilities our members work hard to maintain.

Sat down for coffee with some of our distinguished firefighters who had a direct hand in the technical, mountainside rescue of the stranded rock climber recently at Ragged Mountain. This is a dimension that SFD can provide which is not well known. The successful rescue started with a hike up to the last known location of the rock climber made more strenuous with the additional gear that they had to haul. That location was accurately coordinated between the rock climber and the diligent work of the dispatchers from the Southington Police Department. Southington Fire Department personnel then quickly assessed the situation, discussed options for a rope rappel rescue and implemented their strategy. I learned that the safety of the firefighter who rappelled down to the climber was completely in the hands of his co-workers as he had no control over his descent. That firefighter then fastened the climber to himself and they were both lowered down to safety. If that wasn't enough, it was dark and everyone on scene worked through the belligerent weather of the nor'easter that was rolling through. This synopsis simply doesn't do this deed justice. Each of the firefighters involved was interdependent on the other for success. It was truly remarkable listening to them describe in detail all of the moving parts of this incident. Folks, we are all lucky to have such a dedicated and qualified fire department at our service. Thank you to the volunteer firefighters who responded and of course our dedicated police officers who assisted.

09/28/2026

Town of Southington Awarded $3.03 Million FEMA SAFER Grant to Hire 12 Firefighters

The Southington Fire Department is pleased to announce an award of $3.03 million from the FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program.
This federal grant will help offset the cost of hiring 12 additional firefighters, representing a significant investment in strengthening emergency response capabilities and helping the department better meet the current and future public safety needs of the Southington community.

This critical step would not have been possible without the support and hard work of our Town Manager's Office Southington CT, Town Council, Southington Fire Department, CT- Board of Fire Commissioners, Fire Department administration and members, and everyone who supported this initiative throughout the grant process. We sincerely thank all those who recognized the importance of investing in the safety of our residents and firefighters.

Special thanks are extended to Senator Chris Murphy, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator John B. Larson, U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes, State Senator Rob Sampson, State Representative Chris Poulos, State Representative Gale Mastrofrancesco, State Representative Donna Veach, and State Representative Rebecca Martinez for their support. The Town also extends its appreciation to Office of Governor Ned Lamont for the continued support and advocacy on behalf of the Town of Southington.

The Southington Town Council will now formally review the grant award and deliberate on how best to proceed with its acceptance and implementation.

We are grateful for this opportunity and once again thank everyone who supported this important investment in the future of public safety in Southington.