Taftville Fire Co. evicted, out of service after more than a century
Taftville Fire Company was served an eviction notice on Friday morning, putting it out of service after 109 years in the community, firefighters said in a Facebook post.
“Chief Tim Jencks was served an eviction notice around 10am by state marshals,” the post read. “All property owned by the Taftville Fire Company #2 has been removed and all that remains is city owned equipment.”
The announcement comes two days after the City of Norwich filed an application for a temporary injunction in Connecticut Superior Court, seeking immediate access to the city-owned Taftville fire station and emergency apparatus.
Norwich city officials cited what they described as repeated response failures, staffing shortages, and safety concerns at the volunteer fire company, including missed emergency calls and incidents in which the station was unable to respond due to a lack of personnel.
“This legal intervention is a necessary safety measure to ensure that Norwich residents are receiving all necessary and appropriate levels of public safety response,” Norwich officials wrote in the release on Wednesday.
Firefighters said that Norwich Engine-3 is parked outside the station and is providing service as Taftville has complied with the eviction notice.
Norwich city manager John Salomone said the move to file a temporary injunction followed months of negotiations and mediation with the volunteer company, while Norwich Fire Chief Samuel Wilson said the action was intended to maintain reliable emergency response and retrieve city-owned equipment.
“On behalf of the officers and members of the company we are so grateful for all of the support we have received, not only over the years but the past few months,” Taftville firefighters wrote in the Facebook post. “It has not gone unnoticed!”
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