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ABOUT THE FIRE DISTRICT

The Wilton Fire District a special district of New York, established by the residents of the Town of Wilton in 1947, and governed by a Board of five (5) publicly elected Fire Commissioners, charged with the responsibility of fire protection to both life and property located within its boundaries. 

What is a Fire District?
A Fire District functions identically to a School District or any other local government, each entity consists of a Board that provides oversight and decision making. The Board of Fire Commissioners is the oversight authority specifically for fire protection within a territory. Fire Commissioners are responsible for dividing all the important functions of fire protection into smaller areas of responsibility and appointing individuals to carry out the day-to-day functions. The Wilton Fire District has two primary divisions, Emergency Operations and District Business. The Emergency Operations division is what is more commonly thought of and often referred to as the Fire Department. A Fire District can have many fire departments, but there can only be one Fire District serving as the primary fire protection for a territory. The Fire Department(s) provide the firefighting force of the Fire District and represents all the men and women of the community who have chosen to answer the calling to become volunteer firefighters.

 
How many Fire Departments does the Wilton Fire District have?
At the Wilton Fire District, a single fire department provides the volunteer firefighting force through membership of the Wilton Volunteer Fire Department; this not-for-profit association of local men and women are your firefighters.
 
If there is only a single Fire Department, why are there two stations?
The Wilton Fire District consists of two separate fire stations to increase the effectiveness of its firefighting force. Volunteers are able to quickly respond to the closer station, which gets fire apparatus on the road more quickly, resulting in shorter response times.  

Who and What is a Board of Fire Commissioners?

The Board of Fire Commissioners consists of five (5) members of the community who through an election of qualified voters were elected to hold the public office of Fire Commissioner. They are responsible for the overall operation of the Fire District, serving as the decisional body of the organization. They receive no renumeration for their service and are typically current active or retired volunteer firefighters within their districts. A Fire Commissioner serves for five (5) years before seeking re-election; there are no term limits.

 

WILTON FIRE DISTRICT BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS

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