There has been a trend (pick your part of the US) of moving fireground comms off trunked and/or digital systems. Some of it is due to infrasturue, some due to audio quality/high noise, and other due to budgets ($500 vs $5000 radio).
I know of several fire departments that are dispatched and respond on a P25 system, but on scene they go to a non-PL simplex fireground channel(s). Works well.
I don't know what Hartford is doing. Harris does have some radios that support P25 and EDACS (Unity Mobiles) and some portables that do as well (though they have omitted it from several of the sales materials, but its an option)
Replacing or supplementing fielded fire department radios with those would help with a transition to whatever system they decide to go to, as it will be compatible, based on ordered or future software options. So, its really a win/win situation - if that's the route they are taking.
I would say the best option, and not knowing the behind the scene part of it - would be to migrate to CSERN with Hartford footing the cost of the infrastrure - which would be the base radios and interconnection to the state. It would benefit Harford users with statewide access and mutual aid of any sort to roam into Hartford.
But as Chris said, everyone likes to be a castle