Ridgefield Officials Advance Interviews For Police, Fire Facilities Committee

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Board of Selectpersons has approved a list of 15 residents to be interviewed for a new committee tasked with guiding the town’s planning for future police and fire department facilities.

During a special meeting Tuesday morning, selectpersons compared and discussed lists of applicants who had expressed interest in serving on a committee focused on addressing aging public safety facilities. Board members said the goal is to form a committee of seven to nine members, though a broader group will first be interviewed to assess qualifications, perspectives and overall fit.

Selectpersons emphasized that interviews are a critical step and that no applicant would be appointed without first meeting with the board. Members agreed that professional background, collaborative ability and an understanding of the project’s scope would be as important as resumes and prior experience.

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After tallying overlap among individual shortlists and discussing applicants’ skill sets — including construction, real estate, finance, legal, emergency management and communications — the board voted unanimously to invite 15 candidates to interviews. The list includes residents with backgrounds ranging from commercial development and engineering to community involvement and public safety-related experience.

The board also clarified that the future committee’s role will not be to design a building or select a specific site, but to help evaluate needs, space requirements, costs and potential locations for police and fire facilities. Selectpersons said location options will remain a “clean slate,” with no predetermined outcome regarding whether services would be housed together or separately.

Interviews will be conducted in executive session, which the board approved by unanimous vote. Selectpersons said this approach would allow for candid discussion while remaining consistent with state law. The interviews are expected to take place in early January, ahead of the board’s budget season, with multiple dates likely needed to accommodate all candidates.

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Selectpersons discussed scheduling interviews in half-hour to 40-minute blocks and noted the importance of completing the process promptly so a final committee can be appointed and announced at a subsequent public meeting.

Once interviews are completed, the board expects to vote on appointments and formally establish the committee, which will then begin its work reviewing police and fire facility needs and returning recommendations to the board.