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Fire chief warns new development and long response miles risk downgrading ISO ratings; north station and staffing needed
Summary
Fire Chief Griffin told commissioners that growing call volume and long road miles into Chatham Park are straining response times and could hurt the town's ISO rating; he said a proposed north station would require about 24 hires and noted a $20,000 merger study with the county is budgeted.
Chief Griffin told the board the fire department is seeing growing demand tied to nearby development and long response distances that threaten the town's ISO (insurance) rating.
"We're looking at 24 more people that we have to hire for that station and we're going to have to do that quicker than you think," Chief Griffin said of the planned north station. He explained that ISO evaluations weight road miles and response times, and that the current distribution of stations and downtown traffic produce delays that reduce credit for ladder and apparatus placement. The chief said maintaining or improving the department's rating may require additional stations and staffing and cautioned that commercial insurance costs are most sensitive to rating changes.
Chief Griffin also described near‑term operational pressures: increases in medical and emergency calls, long lead times for fire apparatus and engine deliveries, and maintenance issues tied to national supply chains. He said the draft budget includes $20,000 for a merger study to evaluate consolidation options with the county fire service; staff said the merger could yield operational benefits but would require careful financial modeling because of retirement and pension differences.
Commissioners discussed options including station siting, shared standby arrangements with neighboring departments, traffic signal strategies to help response, and the tradeoffs between spending to maintain ISO ratings versus other town priorities. Chief Griffin said he expects to return with additional details on timing, equipment needs and staffing plans as design and permitting move forward.
