Middletown Public Safety Commission Special Meeting – October 16, 2026

The Public Safety Commission held a special hybrid meeting on October 16, 2026, at the Police Department community room and via WebEx. The meeting was called to order at 6:32 PM. Councilman Darnell Ford, Councilwoman Kelly Sweeney, and Councilman Tony General were present. Councilwoman Salafia and Councilman Giuffinko were absent. The commission approved the minutes from the August 17 meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the minutes from the August 17 meeting was moved, seconded, and passed unanimously with no discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Vinny Rufino of 16 Bluegrass Drive, Middletown, addressed the commission on the topic of a smoking ban prohibition, which he believed was on the agenda. He was informed that the item applied to a different meeting agenda and stood down. No other members of the public spoke.

Discussion Items

• Fire Department Monthly Report (Chief Howard): Chief Howard reported 320 calls for service for the month, with a year-to-date total over 3,000 calls, on pace to exceed 4,000 for the first time in several years. Recent fires occurred on Prospect Street and Travers Square.
• Hunter's Ambulance & Hartford Healthcare Contract: Chief Howard reported on a potential strike or walkout by Hunter's Ambulance staff due to contract negotiations. He, along with other area chiefs and deputies, met with Hartford Healthcare to establish contingencies to ensure 911 ambulance response. A follow-up meeting is scheduled.
• Apparatus & Equipment: The department continues to face challenges with aging apparatus. Engine 1 was out of service for over three months awaiting a $100 leaf spring shackle pin from Spartan. Engine 3 faces a similar delay. Chief Howard is working with the Chief of Staff to develop a new apparatus replacement program. The department is also seeking an AFG grant (over $500,000) for new air packs and bottles.
• Training Building: CAD designs for the new training building are complete and ready for production. The build is expected to take 8-9 months.
• Drone Technology: The department received a demo from Sky Dio, a domestic drone company, as a potential replacement for its current China-made DJI drone, which has a time limit for use and inferior camera imaging. The proposed drone is domestically owned, with closed-circuit video and audio, and is not cloud-based.
• Recruits: Four recruits are 4-5 weeks into their training and excelling. A swearing-in ceremony is planned for December.
• Overtime & Staffing: Overtime has been "extremely heavy" with over 20% of suppression staff out. Staff are beginning to return from FMLA and workers' comp, providing relief.
• Citywide EMS Report: Chief Howard reported a record 1,017 EMS calls for the period, requiring three mutual aid ambulances.
• Telecommunications Report: 19 dispatchers handled approximately 6,700 incidents, including 2,600 911 calls and 5,600 routine calls.
• New Business: Chief Howard previewed the upcoming need for the commission to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to change the staffing model under the SAFER grant, to be formally brought before the commission at the next month's meeting.
• Cross Street Station: The formal building committee has met. The project is awaiting wage rates from the state before going to a 30-day bid process.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approved: The minutes of the August 17 meeting were approved unanimously.
• Future Actions: The Cross Street station project will proceed to bid upon receipt of state wage rates. A formal SAFER grant MOU for staffing model changes will be presented for approval at the next meeting.
• Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at 6:46 PM.