Fire chief seeks $80,000 study to examine station locations and NFPA response gaps

The fire chief requested up to $80,000 at the committee meeting to pay for a professional fire station study to assess station location(s), building condition, response times and staffing needs. He told the committee Templeton's current Baldwinville station was not constructed as a fire station and that station layout and travel distances leave significant portions of town outside NFPA response‑time guidance.

The chief described a timed drill in which he said it took 1 minute, 21 seconds to get from a bedroom to the ambulance in the current building and cited GPS travel times to parts of town that exceed NFPA recommendations. He said meeting NFPA guidelines could require a second staffed station on the east side of town or a centrally located modern station closer to the highway barn area. The chief estimated a study cap of $80,000 based on comparable work in neighboring communities and emphasized that a study is the first step toward identifying sites, costs, and funding sources.

He referenced a 2020 study (by a consulting firm) and a more recent union study that similarly found existing buildings are inadequate and that some town stations lack land for expansion. The chief said state programs may prioritize communities that have ready drawings if future state funding for municipal fire stations becomes available.

Committee members asked about sequencing with capital planning and timing; the chief agreed to provide rough dates for expected replacements of other major apparatus and equipment to assist five‑year planning. No formal vote was taken on the study request at this meeting.