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The Easton Volunteer Emergency Medical Services (EMS) had been operating out of a dilapidated former firehouse (built 1925) that they’ve occupied since 1988.

The building suffered from numerous serious problems, including:

• Flooding basement, asbestos, outdated roof, failing mechanical systems, and poor water/shower facilities.
• Inadequate garage bays (too short/low for modern ambulances, forcing custom builds and slow responses).
• Severe lack of storage, office space, training rooms, and sleeping quarters.
• No handicap accessibility.

EMS leaders, including Chief Jonathan Arnold, argued in 2020 that a new facility was urgently needed and would be more cost-effective than continued repairs. The town’s First Selectman at the time, David Bindleglass, supported the project, but had been searching for a suitable site and raising funds for over a decade with no new home yet secured.

The EMS Council minutes from the relevant meeting at that time (October 12, 2020) seem to lack discussion of the need for a new building or an Agenda item about an update of upgrade discussion.

The EMS Building Committee subsequently decided to update the hundred-year old original town firehouse instead of moving elsewhere.

The Easton Courier reported on the financial details, which included grant money:

The cost of the EMS renovation project is $4,180,944, but the town secured $1,229,331 from several sources including a contribution of $821,792 from the EMS Trustees, $188,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds, $199,539 from two state sources and $20,000 from the Board of Finance to contribute toward the project.

The $4,180,944 price tag includes the Sport Hill Road land purchase, site work, furnishings, security and technology, temporary housing and a contingency fund.

The remaining $2,951,613 is taken from the town’s undesignated fund balance. However the town will be reimbursed $1,118,155, so the actual amount of funding needed to complete the project from the town will be $1,833,458.

The project included a land purchase worked into the deal to create a new driveway to improve the vehicular traffic. At the time, the ambulance bays were directly traversing onto busy Sport Hill Rd/Rte 59.

The land purchased included contaminated soil.

Unfortunately, things have not gone smoothly even though the grand reopening was held last Sunday, timed to coincide with the celebration of EMS week. The contaminated soil — which they have known about since 2022 — still has not been remediated.

Nonetheless, Selectman Nicholas D'Addario pushed the project forward, citing concerns that "unnecessary delays could jeopardize" the project.

Residents continued to voice their concerns.

Another EMS Building and Planning Committee meeting took place on May 12 to develop a remediation plan for the contaminated soil.

The meeting minutes do not list Committee members in attendance, nor do they include a signatory on the document.

The previous Committee meeting on May 5 included a roll call of Committee members, showing John Foley and Peter Fiore in attendance, and Rich Cola[a]ngelo and Mike Gutowski as being absent.

Was the EMS hosting a "grand reopening" wrong? Is it "grand" to have contaminated soil unresolved from the last administration? How will this be remediated?

The people of Easton now wait for an environmental attorney's recommendation as to what to do next.

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