Loudon police seek $2,500 highway-safety boost; fire/EMS report equipment delays and hiring progress

Police and fire leaders updated the Loudon Board of Selectmen on vehicle repairs, grant requests and staffing at the board’s March 4 meeting.

Police Chief Flanders told the board he plans to ask state highway-safety officials on March 18 to amend an existing grant to add $2,500 for speed enforcement on state routes, including Route 106. “I would like to request an additional $2,500 for speed enforcement,” Flanders said, adding the money would cover overtime and demonstration motorcycle patrols used last year.

Flanders said he also raised a statewide practice with highway-safety staff of paying part-time officers their overtime rate for grant patrols so the town covers a portion of the premium pay. “Highway safety pays their original hourly rate and the town would be responsible for the half part of time and a half,” he said, describing the arrangement as a recruitment incentive and a way to increase coverage during targeted enforcement.

He asked the board for preliminary feedback and said he would return with a written memo and examples from other New Hampshire communities. Flanders also reported two department cruisers out of service for mechanical diagnosis and said one vehicle was at Loudon Garage for diagnosis.

Fire and EMS updates came from Russ Pearl, who reported that Tower 1 was in Brunswick awaiting electrical parts and that the shop expected parts this week. “Tower 1 went to Brunswick last Monday and it's been there ever since,” Pearl said. He said the shop has diagnosed the problem to an electrical fault and is waiting for ordered parts.

Pearl also said Ambulance 2 has drive-train issues and is likely to need additional repairs before the department receives a newly ordered ambulance. The new ambulance is in engineering and is expected to move to the production line in late May; Pearl said delivery will likely be late summer or early fall.

On staffing, the board previously approved a conditional offer of employment to applicant Aaron Silley; Pearl said the hire is pending a NFPA 1582 medical exam and there is a backlog for scheduling the required physical. A separate candidate was scheduled for interview later in the week.

Pearl summarized regional traffic-safety discussions he attended at the New Hampshire Traffic Fatality Summit, noting higher enforcement activity statewide and concern about recent fatalities on Route 106. “There really seems to be some funding and a lot of support to try to get ahead of this,” he said while pointing to two local fatalities on Route 106 in recent months.

Pearl also said the town received a $2,000 matching grant for forestry equipment; the money will fund protective clothing and hose for wildland firefighting. He reported upcoming warden and deputy warden training at the state fire academy and noted several department members pursuing EMT, AEMT and paramedic training.

Flanders requested a nonpublic session for a personnel matter later in the meeting; the board moved to nonpublic session under RSA 91-A for personnel at 6:32 p.m.