Norwich ― A petition drive by volunteer firefighters was successful last week in forcing a special election on a new ordinance that mandates automatic aid between the paid and volunteer fire departments.

But a second petition effort fell short that would have forced a citywide vote on an ordinance mandating centralized purchasing of fire apparatus and equipment.

City Clerk Betsy Barrett said the petition to force a vote on the automatic aid ordinance garnered 1,091 verified signatures of registered Norwich voters, surpassing the 1,042 signatures needed, while the second petition drive collected 999 verified signatures, short of the minimum needed.

By city charter, residents can force a special election on any ordinance approved by the City Council, except for ordinances setting the annual budget or tax rates.

Volunteer firefighters and supporters circulated the petitions following the City Council’s narrow 4-3 votes to approve the two ordinances on Dec. 5.

The two fire services ordinances became controversial as soon as they were submitted by Democratic Council President Pro Tempore Joseph DeLucia, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, and Democratic Alderman and Public Safety Committee member Tracey Burto. The council’s four Democrats voted in favor of the ordinances while Republican Mayor Peter Nystrom and the two Republican aldermen opposed them.

The automatic aid ordinance, called “auto-aid,” requires the central city paid fire department to respond to all structure fires in any of the city’s five volunteer districts. The equipment purchases ordinance calls for, “Centralized purchasing protocol and common apparatus and equipment specification, procurement and replacement procedure.”

Last week, Taftville volunteer Fire Chief Timothy Jencks said the aim of the petition was not to end automatic aid but to put the decision back in the hands of the city’s five volunteer and one paid fire chief and the city manager. The chiefs and city manager had reached an agreement to start the policy after 10 months of discussions. But the five volunteer chiefs withdrew support one day after the policy was implemented upon learning of the proposed ordinance mandating the practice.

Mayor Nystrom said Wednesday the proposed date for the special election is Wednesday, Feb.1, one day shy of the 30-day time frame called for in the city charter. The council will set the special election date at its 7:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday at City Hall.

Barrett and Democratic Registrar of Voters Dianne Daniels stressed that the election is open only to registered Norwich voters.

Schools will be open that day, meaning three of the city’s six regular polling places will not be available. Daniels said Nystrom worked to secure possible alternative polling places close to the John Moriarty, John B. Stanton and Samuel Huntington schools so voters in those precincts would not have to travel outside their districts to vote.

Daniels said city election officials will inspect the three sites Friday afternoon and hopes to confirm they meet state election requirements by late Friday or early next week. She declined to name the sites until they are confirmed. The city will need to rent the sites, adding cost to the elections budget, she said.

Barrett said absentee ballots will be printed as soon as the question wording is ready and should be available in early January.

c.bessette@theday.com