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Woodstock fire chief reports surge in calls, wins board OK to pursue federal surplus truck and Knoxbox installs
Summary
Chief Cole told the Select Board the department has handled 19 calls this year, described a donated Turbo Draft unit and a plan to install Knoxbox units, and the board authorized a request to acquire federal-surplus equipment including a Steuart Stevenson truck and an enclosed trailer.
Chief Cole, chief of the department identified in the transcript as "Chief Cole from Firefight 270," told the Woodstock Select Board the department has responded to 19 calls so far this year, including three building fires, and outlined immediate equipment and staffing needs.
Chief Cole said the department has sought grants and scoured surplus-equipment markets to stretch limited funds. "We're up to 19 calls so far this year," he said, noting recent building fires in Woodstock and neighboring towns. He described a Turbo Draft unit the department will acquire with a modest local outlay and an outside donation, saying the device "lets us be up to 200 feet away from the source of water," which would improve the department's ability to draft from rivers and ponds where hard suction hose cannot reach.
The Nut Graf: The chief presented a mix of donated and requested equipment meant to bolster rural water access and on-scene command capabilities, and asked the board to permit staff to pursue federal surplus acquisitions that could reduce acquisition costs but still require town resources for retrieval and upkeep.
Chief Cole also explained plans to buy Knoxbox units (secure key boxes for first responders) and noted newer electronic-key systems that allow multiple jurisdictions to access a single box. He said a project to equip three locations would cost about $6,300 up front and that the proprietary subscription fee for the electronic key system appears in the transcript as roughly $1,000 per year; the transcript language on exact subscription cost is unclear, so the board recorded the procurement while staff will return with exact figures.
On federal surplus vehicles, Chief Cole described two acquisition routes: (1) a vehicle remains on federal inventory and is loaned to the town (town covers maintenance), or (2) the vehicle becomes the town's asset after a year. He said an enclosed trailer for emergency management and a Steuart Stevenson 2.5-ton truck useful for high-water rescue and forestry response are available and that the main town cost would be staff time and retrieval travel. "There's no vehicle acquisition cost," he said of the surplus program, "we would just have to go acquire it." He and others noted the vehicles sometimes require long retrieval trips.
The board moved and approved a motion authorizing Slen Rand to sign a request for the enclosed trailer and the Steuart Stevenson truck so staff can pursue the transfers. The motion carried by voice vote.
Chief Cole also raised internal needs for a dedicated command vehicle so the mobile incident office is not a forester pickup or a personal vehicle. Board members discussed rotating a retired police cruiser or sourcing a surplus vehicle until a long-term replacement is budgeted. Chief Cole invited members to joint ice-rescue training planned for March 18.
What happens next: Staff will return with precise cost estimates for the Knoxbox subscription, the formal requisition paperwork for equipment purchases tied to the town budget, and follow-up on retrieval logistics for any federal-surplus vehicle the town pursues.
Sources and attributions: Quotes and facts in this story come from Chief Cole's presentation to the board (transcript segments beginning SEG 256) and subsequent board discussion. The transcript spells the surplus truck model as "Steuart Stevenson" and identifies the department as "Firefight 270;" these appear as provided in the meeting record.
