Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police, fire chiefs seek mobile command post and five‑year Axon deal as chiefs cite staffing and rising costs
Summary
Public‑safety leaders sought town backing for a mobile command post and a five‑year contract with Axon for body cameras and tasers, and outlined COPS grant support and training investments; chiefs warned staffing remains short and asked town meeting to consider a multi‑year staffing study.
Fire Chief Patrick Purcell and Police Chief Todd Manardi told the joint budget summit that both departments face rising demand and are pursuing new equipment and multi‑year contracts to keep pace.
Police: Chief Manardi and lieutenants described a five‑year Axon package that would lock in pricing for body cameras, storage and taser equipment; department figures shown to the boards estimate annual Axon costs in the current price run at roughly $131,000 (body cameras and storage about $91,000; taser service ~ $40,000), and Manardi said a five‑year contract could reduce annual volatility. The chiefs also displayed a live‑translation capability built into modern body cameras that the department has started using, saying the tool has already helped officers communicate with non‑English speakers in field encounters. Manardi and his lieutenants also described recent grants — notably a federal COPS hiring award that covers up to 75% of one officer’s salary and fringe for three years — and repeated that workforce shortages remain the department’s largest long‑term challenge.
Fire: Chief Purcell outlined the department’s public‑safety responsibilities, said Westborough’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating is currently 2 and described an active program of grant‑funded capital (SCBA, turnout gear and training). Purcell proposed a mobile command post, a climate‑controlled communications/incident coordination vehicle he said would reduce response times and improve on‑scene coordination during major incidents and reunification operations; he presented cost estimates reduced through vendor negotiation to about $332,000 net of a modest federal award that the department has received.
What’s next: Both chiefs said the items will appear on the town warrant for consideration at town meeting, with chiefs stressing training and data storage arrangements should be factored into any contract decisions. Police and fire leaders also asked town officials to consider a new staffing/organizational assessment to update the town’s 2019 study and identify multi‑year personnel needs.
Attribution note: Quotes and paraphrase are drawn from remarks by Patrick Purcell (fire chief), Todd Manardi (police chief), Lt. Shipright and Lt. Loose during the Feb. 10 summit.
