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Dover fire board reports January response totals, delivery of new Engine 1 and staffing changes
Summary
Chief Gerry Smith told the Board of Fire Engineers on Feb. 2 that the department had 34 fire and 46 ambulance responses in January, has taken delivery of a new Engine 1, onboarded six new hires and is running nonresident EMT shifts at the station to improve response times.
Chief Gerry Smith, chief of the Dover Fire Department, presented the Officer's Report for January 2026 at the Board of Fire Engineers meeting on Feb. 2, reporting 34 fire responses and 46 ambulance responses for the month.
The report included a breakdown of personnel response rates among the department's 21 firefighters: six made no responses, four responded to 10% or fewer of calls, five responded to 11%–29% of calls and six responded to 30% or more. Of five officers, four responded to fewer than 49% of calls and one responded to more than 50%. Chief Smith reported an average of 5.74 personnel attending each call.
Smith said the department took delivery of the new Engine 1 during January; staff returned the apparatus to fit shelving, tools and other equipment. Six new hires were onboarded and training continued through the month. To improve response times, the chief said EMTs who do not live in Dover are completing shifts at the Fire Station. He also noted that the Caryl Center has been designated as the town's warming center and that open burning season has begun; residents must sign up on the town website and no permit is required.
Inspector Ed Kornak provided the inspections summary for January, reporting five smoke/CO inspections; two above-ground and two underground propane tank installations; zero hot works permits and zero annual building inspections; seven oil tanks removed and five installed; and three oil burner installations. Kornak said there was one BDA system and one new fire alarm panel recorded year-to-date and 14 miscellaneous inspections that included detector upgrades, follow-ups on open permits and progress checks on various projects. The department also inspected new home construction sites for temporary heating systems and the presence of carbon monoxide detectors.
The board did not receive public comment during the meeting. The minutes note a Warrant Committee Zoom meeting to discuss the Fire and Ambulance FY27 budgets on Monday, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. The board's next open meeting is scheduled for March 2, 2026, at 4:30 p.m., and the Feb. 2 session adjourned at 5:07 p.m.
