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Select Board recommends accepting competitive SAFER grant to add firefighter per shift after debate over timing and costs
Summary
Town officials recommended Article 19 to accept a three-year SAFER grant that adds a fourth firefighter per shift while board members probed long-term costs and timing; the fire chief described operational risks from current staffing and building conditions and argued the grant is a rare opportunity to offset ongoing staffing needs.
The Plymouth Select Board recommended that the town accept a competitive three-year SAFER grant (Article 19) that would fund additional firefighter/EMS positions, effectively adding a fourth firefighter on each shift while the grant is in effect.
Fire Chief (speaker 8) framed the grant as a rare competitive opportunity that took years to obtain and said it would materially improve response capacity, reduce missed calls and allow the department to take more mutual-aid and hospital-transfer work that otherwise the town declines. The chief described long-standing deficiencies at the fire station—rotted metal walls, rodents in bunker gear,…
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