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Bolton Volunteer Fire Department reports 41 calls last month; chief outlines budget pressures
Summary
At the Dec. 14 Bolton Fire Commission meeting Fire Chief Bruce Dixon reported 41 emergency responses in the prior month and warned the 2021–22 budget must cover a forced NFIRS software upgrade and COVID-related PPE costs; he will circulate a final draft before submission to the town.
Fire Chief Bruce Dixon told the Bolton Fire Commission on Dec. 14, 2020 that the Bolton Volunteer Fire Department responded to 41 emergencies over the previous month, including several motor-vehicle crashes, a mutual-aid call for a structure fire, a search-and-rescue at Gay City State Park and multiple medical incidents that included two CPRs.
Dixon said work on the 2021–2022 department budget is underway and will include increases to pay for a required replacement of the department’s NFIRS software after the manufacturer discontinued the current package, as well as ongoing COVID-19 expenses for personal protective equipment. He said he would forward the final draft to commission members before sending it to the town administrative officer in late December.
Dixon also summarized training activity: instruction moved to virtual formats because of rising COVID-19 cases; in-house instructors led medical training and traffic-incident-management sessions. He said one member is finishing Firefighter I, three members are nearly finished with Firefighter II, and three recently completed Fire Instructor I at the Eastern Connecticut Fire School in Willimantic.
The chief described recent community outreach: the department took part in the CSP toy drive at the firehouse, with support from the Women’s Auxiliary, the Senior Center and the Recreation Department, producing one of the drive’s largest collections in its nine-year history. Dixon closed by offering holiday wishes to commissioners and their families.
The commission’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
