Fire chief warns of overdue equipment replacements; council asks staff to study ambulance option

The town's fire leadership reported equipment nearing end-of-life and urged council planning for replacements if grant funding does not materialize. "We've got about $600,000 worth of equipment that needs to be replaced," the chief said, citing out-of-date self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs) and portable radios that are no longer fully serviceable and are beyond manufacturer support.

Staff said they applied for federal assistance through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant process and were awaiting results; if grants fail, they recommended sequencing equipment purchases or using budget transfers. The chief said SCBAs generally must be replaced together for compatibility and safety reasons and that radios and other hardware have both safety- and interoperability implications.

On emergency medical transport, staff discussed the operational and financial implications of running a town-staffed ambulance service. The department outlined a typical start-up profile (ambulance ~$350,000, equipment ~$100,000, plus staffing costs) and said a one-ambulance operation would still likely require additional backup resources. Staff recommended initiating a certificate-of-necessity (CON) assessment; the chief said a consultant can prepare a CON package for roughly $30,000 and the state's review typically takes six months to a year.

Council reaction: members asked staff to produce a detailed cost/benefit analysis and to pursue the CON prep work while continuing to rely on the current contracted provider (AMR) until a fuller analysis is completed. Staff also flagged overtime and scheduling issues tied to the new in-house fire-department staffing model as a factor in any future staffing decision.