Connecticut Neighborhood Assistance Act

NORWICH – The Norwich City Manager’s Office is now accepting applications from Norwich organizations for the CT Neighborhood Assistance Act. Information and “fillable applications” are available on the State of Connecticut Department of Revenue Services website at portal.ct.gov/DRS. Applications must be received in the City Manager’s office by June 1, 2026.

The Connecticut Neighborhood Assistance Act (NAA) Tax Credit Program is designed to provide funding for municipal and tax exempt organizations by providing a corporation business tax credit for businesses that make cash contributions to these entities.

Please contact the City Manager’s Office at 860-823-3750 for additional information.

Established 1659

City of Norwich

Connecticut

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 4, 2026

City of Norwich Releases New Data Showing Improved Emergency  Response Times Under Unified Command

City Officials Reaffirm Goal of Integrating All Volunteer Departments  as Part of Permanent Ongoing Operations

Norwich, Conn. – The City of Norwich today released new emergency response data for the Yantic district, demonstrating that the use of a unified command structure significantly decreases response times and increases the level of medical and fire expertise on the scene of emergencies.

Since the Norwich Fire Department (NFD) began directly managing response in the Yantic area, the average response time for Engine 4 has dropped to 5.6 minutes. This represents a significant improvement over previous averages, which frequently ranged between 7 and 11 minutes for similar calls. Specific performance comparisons include:

• 79 Sturtevant St (EMS): NFD responded in 2 minutes, compared to the previous average of 8 minutes.

• 70 Woodrow Ave (EMS): NFD responded in 5 minutes, compared to the previous average of 9.6 minutes.

• 16 Huntington Ln (EMS): NFD responded in 7 minutes, compared to the previous average of 11 minutes.

• 12 Case St (Gas Leak): NFD responded in 5 minutes with 10 interior-qualified personnel; a previous similar call saw a 9-minute response.

"The data is clear: our current operations are delivering faster, more effective coverage to the residents of Norwich," said Fire Chief Samuel Wilson. "By directly managing these responses, we are ensuring that every call is met with the highest professional standards of care and speed. This is exactly why we are committed to a unified command agreement—it is the only way to guarantee this level of safety across the entire city."

Chief Wilson emphasized that while the current system is performing at a high level, the City's goal is to integrate volunteers back into this professionalized framework.

"I remain firm in my belief that volunteerism is a critical component of fire and EMS service in the City of Norwich," Wilson said. "Volunteers bring history, dedication, and community connection that cannot be replaced. Our objective is to support and get the most out of our volunteers by making them part of a robust, unified fire response system."

The City has already provided a contract to the volunteer departments that would allow them to resume operations as early as tomorrow, provided they agree to the unified command and safety benchmarks required by the City Charter. This structure ensures there is a single, clear line of authority at fire scenes to prevent the confusion and safety violations that occurred in the past.

City Manager John Salomone added that the move toward a unified structure is as much about fiscal responsibility as it is about safety. "We are eliminating redundancies that have cost taxpayers millions while simultaneously improving the service those taxpayers rely on," Salomone said. "We are ready to welcome our volunteers back into service the moment they agree to meet these professional standards."

Please find full reference data below:

79 Sturtevant St EMS

Report indicates 7 people responding in POV

Yantic average time to scene: 8 minutes

275 Otrobando Ave EMS

Yantic Average time to scene: 7 minutes

41 Wawecus St Fire Alarm

*Comparable address (79 Wawecus) and same incident type

Yantic Average time to scene: 10 minutes

3 Myrtle Dr EMS

Yantic average time to scene: 7 minutes

12 Case St Gas Leak

Yantic average time to scene: 9 minutes

150 Vergason St EMS

*Comparable address Yantic average time to scene: 8 minutes

5 Wisconsin Ave Gas Leak

*Comparable address (1 Wisconsin) and same incident type

Yantic Average time to scene: 10 minutes

15 Wisconsin Ave Odor Investigation

No comparable incident type with same address.

25 Otrobando Ave EMS

*Comparable address ( 0-100 Otrobando Ave) and same incident type

Yantic Average time to scene: 8 minutes

204 Sturtevant St EMS

70 Woodrow Ave EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 9.6 minutes

28 Montgomery Ln EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 9 minutes

213 West Town St EMS

Average Yantic response time: 6 minutes

275 Washington St EMS/MVA

Average Yantic response time: 7 minutes

16 Huntington Ln EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 11 minutes

222 Otrobando Ave EMS

East Town St MVA

Average Yantic response time: 8 minutes

60 Clinton Ave EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 6 minutes

16 Cottonwood EMS

** Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 8 minutes

107 Browning Rd EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 9.5 minutes

17 Case St Gas leak *Snowstorm

19 Brookside Dr EMS

189 W Town EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 9 minutes

5 Town St EMS

Average Yantic response time: 10 minutes

93 W Town St fire alarm

89 W Town St CO alarm

** Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 4 minutes

20 Greenwich Ct Structure Fire

7 Woodrow Ave EMS

* Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 9.6 minutes

100 Sturtevant St EMS

* Comparable address ** 7 people in POV to scene

Average Yantic response time: 8 minutes

6 Gifford St EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 6 minutes

54 Sunnyside St EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 9 minutes

35 Knollcrest EMS

*Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 8.5 minutes

83 Oxford Dr EMS

** Comparable address

Average Yantic response time: 6.5 minutes

Overall Engine 4 average response time is 5.6 minutes