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Board weighs Poland Spring donation, grant reimbursements and how many air packs the fire department needs
Summary
The select board discussed a potential $37,340 grant reimbursement and a Poland Spring offer (about $24,000) toward air packs, questioned how many interior firefighters require gear under labor standards, and scheduled further discussion with fire leadership on May 28.
Town staff told the select board that a turnout-gear grant could reimburse the town about $37,340 for previously purchased gear and that Poland Spring has offered roughly $24,000 toward three additional air packs (not including bottles). The board discussed whether to accept outside donations and whether the department’s roster and response rates justify purchasing additional costly gear.
Board members noted Department of Labor standards require the town to outfit interior-certified firefighters and that outfitting each person can cost tens of thousands of dollars; members asked how many volunteers respond to incidents and how often they actually enter structure fires before committing to large purchases. The town manager said the fire department will present figures and further discussion is scheduled for the meeting on the 28th.
No purchase was authorized at the meeting; board members asked staff and the fire chief (attendance scheduled on the 28th) to provide response-rate and roster data and cost breakdowns before any decision on buying dozens of air packs or reallocating donations.
