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Penacook Rescue Squad fundraising and county discussions continue; Merrimack County not ready to regionalize
Summary
Select Board members reported on a county meeting about supporting Penacook Rescue Squad; participants said grant opportunities and fundraising ideas were plentiful but county commissioners are not prepared to assume regional responsibility at this time.
Board members who attended a recent meeting with Merrimack County and rescue-squad representatives reported productive discussions on grant and fundraising opportunities to support Penacook Rescue Squad operations.
Meeting takeaways: Participants said the county offered some funding and forwarded a range of other grant and fundraising ideas; meeting attendees emphasized outreach to foundations and to people who had received support from the squad as potential fundraisers or spokespeople. The rescue squad is a nonprofit (501(c)(3)) and can fundraise directly, attendees said.
County role and regionalization: Board members said Merrimack County commissioners appear hesitant to take on the rescue squad as a county-sponsored regional service (unlike a separate regional model discussed elsewhere). The county’s elected officials did not commit to assuming responsibility, and attendees said the group would continue to pursue other funding and operational options.
Next steps: Rescue-squad volunteers and town staff will continue grant-seeking and fundraising plans; town staff will also coordinate with rescue-squad leadership on messaging, while being mindful about duplicative fundraising that might be interpreted as not supporting the town’s departments.
