Norwich – Savings from several completed capital projects in the city would be reallocated to the Occum Volunteer Fire Department for station lighting, firefighter gear and equipment needed to respond to accidents on Interstate 395 under a proposal being considered by the City Council.

The council on Monday referred a plan to recapture $27,659 from capital projects, including $2,227 in savings from other budgeted spending at the Occum department, to fund the new purchases to the council’s Public Safety Committee.

The Occum department responds to many accidents on I-395 but does not have equipment to stabilize vehicles involved in crashes. The department’s 12 active firefighters do not have backup sets of turnout gear for fighting fires inside buildings. The Occum station also has inadequate lighting in the bay that houses a tanker truck. The transfer of funds will cover all three new purchases.

Council President Pro Tempore William Nash, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, supports the proposed diversion of funds because the purchases for Occum have been cut from the annual budget over the years and are becoming critical needs. Firefighter turnout gear is getting old and worn out, and when new firefighters arrive, gear might not fit properly.

“We can’t keep handing this stuff down,” Nash said.

The city charter requires that 1 mill of taxes be spent on capital projects, so the recaptured funds must remain in the capital improvements budget, Nash said.

Nash said when the issue is discussed by the Public Safety Committee, he will propose creating a new system of cataloging department needs and planning to buy equipment in bulk to save money.

c.bessette@theday.com