When Frank Salvatore Jr. became a volunteer firefighter in the 1980s, he simply had to get a physical from a doctor.
That night, he battled a structure fire on Moss Avenue.
But training and other requirements have increased for local firefighters, and they need a better incentive to join and stick with the volunteer companies, he said.
Salvatore, a Democrat on Danbury City Council, is advocating for the city to give volunteer firefighters a tax break.
“With all these requirements, it’s harder to train these people and keep them,” he said. “This tax abatement idea has always been an idea of how to help recruit and retain the volunteer fire service because they are an integral part of the Danbury Fire Department.”
His proposal would exclude elected officials like himself from getting the tax break.