Don Nourse put on his Wilton firefighting gear as a young high school graduate in 1992. Now, nearly 30 years later, it’s his full-time career.
Nourse, a long-time Wilton resident, officially became fire chief on June 15, after retiring from his former job with Eversource as a manager of distribution system operations. Nourse has held the position of interim chief since this spring.
“It’s very satisfying,” Nourse said. “There’s a lot to be done to get us caught up, but it feels good to be part of that and to be able to set the course for the department for the future. It’s rewarding to work for such a great group of folks, people that get out of bed in the middle of the night because their neighbors need them.”
Nourse has been part of the fire department since 1992, when he joined after high school. He’s been a regular presence on the department, though he stepped back for 10 years to raise his son, Mitchell, as a single dad, but returned to the department when his son was old enough. His son joined the department at the same time, as a fire explorer.
In March, the town of Wilton voted to create a full-time position for its fire chief. Voters approved a $50,000 warrant article, representing pay and benefits for a portion of the year. It also created the position fully, meaning from 2021 on, the town will incorporate the $64,000 salary into its budget.
Nourse was, himself, in favor of a full-time chief for the department. There wasn’t enough time for the administrative side of the job as a volunteer position with a stipend of $15,000 annually.
That’s been his first order of business since he’s been in the job, Nourse said. The department is in the midst of inspecting and working with landowners to prepare for the repair of its water holes and dry hydrants, which voters approved funds for in March. He’s also been doing inspections for both the local schools and life safety inspections.
Nourse said once the repair of the dry hydrants have gone out to bid, and inspections are complete, the department will have discussions with budget officials about allocating some funds every year for their upkeep.
“So far, I’ve been able to put together a lot of the administrative duties, but there’s a lot of work to go, yet,” Nourse said.
Nourse said with only one full-time position in the department, Wilton has faced a lot of struggles with keeping a full roster. The department is considered fully staffed at 33 members, but it’s been a number of years since it’s been close to that number. Currently, there are 20 members with the department.
One of his duties as a full-time chief is to try to encourage recruitment.
“It’s not unique to Wilton by any means,” Nourse said. “It’s becoming more and more of a problem throughout the country. All the towns around us are feeling the same thing. It’s tough on everybody.”