Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Station Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Boston fire chief outlines punch list at new station, reports hires and grants
Summary
At the Board of Firewards meeting Feb. 9, Chief Keith Dubriel detailed remaining punch-list work at the new fire station, reported six applicants in hiring process, said PFAS‑free turnout gear has arrived, described ambulance and data-system issues, and noted pending grant and fundraising actions.
Chief Keith Dubriel on Feb. 9 updated the New Boston Board of Firewards on remaining construction and equipment issues at the department’s new station and outlined personnel and funding developments.
The station is operational but still on a punch list, Dubriel said: card-access key fobs and the exterior camera/doorbell monitoring are not yet tied into a monitored system, several metal trims and paint remain to be finished, and radiant‑slab heating requires balancing. "The card access is one of them… the outside camera doorbell system only rings to a camera somewhere, and no one's monitoring that camera," Dubriel said, adding that some items will improve as new concrete dries.
Why it matters: the outstanding items affect daily operations and safety checks at the new facility and require additional vendor and town follow‑up before final closeout.
Dubriel also reported a transmission issue on Ambulance 1 that was sent to Grafoni for evaluation; the vendor characterized the symptom as an adaptive‑learning computer issue and the department will continue monitoring shifting reports. He said Squad 1 has returned to service but still has punch‑list corrections to complete.
Personnel and equipment: Dubriel said recruitment has produced momentum: "we have six members in process with one ready to hire tomorrow," and several prior members have expressed interest in returning. He announced delivery of PFAS‑free turnout gear and described it as the start of replacing older sets.
Funding and grants: Dubriel said the department received an energy‑efficiency credit from Eversource for $10,743.61; he noted the refund will go to town coffers. He said an EOC grant application for furniture, displays and additional equipment is scheduled to be considered by the governor on Feb. 11 and that the department is pursuing other grants, including a CPF application for radio upgrades and a congressional directed‑funding opportunity.
Billing and data systems: The department is completing contracts with New Hampshire insurance carriers for ambulance transport billing, with six of nine carriers onboard; out‑of‑state carriers would continue to be billed at standard ComStar rates. Dubriel also said the department lost historical reporting modules in the Nearest/Enfers system and the CAD interface is not operational, requiring staff to re‑enter run data manually and increasing administrative workload.
Community fundraising and facility use: Dubriel said the select board was expected to accept roughly $38,000 raised through GoFundMe and a parallel fundraiser for station needs; he proposed launching a brick fundraiser to add donations and noted strong public interest in renting the new meeting rooms, so the department is setting a scheduling process.
Next steps: Dubriel said he will continue to work through vendor punch‑list items, finalize ambulance‑billing contracts, pursue the listed grants and coordinate scheduling and liability forms for community use of the station.
