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Swanzey fire chief reports growth in staffing and raises questions about town-run ambulance service
Summary
Fire Chief Eric Matson reported higher call volumes and a gain in staffing to 32 personnel and outlined steps the department has taken to shorten hiring timelines; he and the board discussed potential costs, billing/unbillable calls, backup coverage and capital needs if the town pursues its own ambulance service.
Chief Eric Matson and deputies updated the Select Board on recent operations, staffing and an exploratory discussion about a town-run ambulance service.
Matson said June–August call totals for the department were 106, 90 and 121 respectively, with EMS calls accounting for the majority; he estimated the department was on track for roughly 1,100 calls for the year. Matson said the department has improved recruitment and onboarding cadence — digitizing conditional offer paperwork and cutting time-to-hire from about six weeks to roughly three — and has added several new hires; the department’s active roster stood at 32 members at the meeting.
Board members asked for more detail on a proposal discussed by…
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