4 Norwich volunteer fire companies file lawsuit against city consolidation efforts

Four of Norwich’s volunteer fire companies are suing the city over consolidation efforts. Such efforts led to the Yantic Volunteer Fire Department’s suspension earlier this month.

Norwich Fire Chief Samuel Wilson claimed that the Yantic Volunteer Company went around the city’s incident commander. This is why the city told the company Feb. 9 they had to sign a contract and join their fire department by 10 a.m. the following day under a “unified command structure.”

The lawsuit cites an action from August 2025, claiming the city manager issued a memo that “unexpectedly” asserted that the volunteer fire departments are “under the direct leadership and authority of the City of Norwich Fire Chief.” According to the lawsuit, this was “illegal” and outside of the city manager’s authority.

In the lawsuit, Yantic, Occum, Taftville, and Laurel Hill volunteer fire companies cite the city’s own charter, stating that they differ from the city’s paid, career fire department, thereby solidifying their independence from the city’s operations.

East Great Plain is the first, and so far the only, volunteer fire department to sign an agreement to be part of the city’s unified command structure.

You can read more of the lawsuit here.