Dean, speaking for the fire and forestry portion of the budget, urged the board to plan for steady replacement of turnout gear, radios and other communications equipment rather than assuming one‑time grants will cover future costs. He said the State Department of Labor and National Fire Protection Association guidance effectively require replacing turnout gear after ten years, regardless of apparent condition. “You gotta get rid of it,” Dean said. “If it's over 10 years, it's gotta go.”
Dean said the town will need to replace roughly four sets of turnout gear per year to meet the NFPA 10‑year guidance for a 40‑set inventory and proposed increasing the protective clothing line in the budget to start “catching up.” He also said several radio purchases funded by grants are now reaching end‑of‑life and will need replacement; portable radios can cost $6,000–$7,000 apiece and repairs or in‑warranty work can run hundreds per unit.
Select Board members and staff discussed using existing budgeted grant or revolving funds strategically: Dean suggested channeling some of the money previously budgeted for a new dispatch system into protective clothing and communications because it became available when the dispatch plan changed. He described looking for staggered purchase options and multi‑year maintenance contracts as ways to avoid large simultaneous replacements.
No formal appropriation was made at the meeting. Dean and staff asked the board to note the multi‑year capital needs and consider either building a dedicated capital reserve or continuing to plan purchases out of ambulance/department revenue as they come due.
The discussion highlighted two operational constraints: federal or vendor replacement cycles for grant‑purchased items (which means many pieces funded at once will reach replacement age together) and vendor warranty and upgrade cycles that can render older devices obsolete even if they still function. The board requested updated capital‑planning numbers and options for multi‑year purchasing and maintenance to return at a subsequent meeting.