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Peterborough reviews fire and EMS budgets; approves department software and retains two ambulances
Summary
At a joint Select Board and Budget Committee meeting, the Fire Department requested $12,000 for new management software and warned of PFAS-related uniform cost increases; the boards agreed to proceed with the presented budget and declined to cut ambulance service from two units to one.
The Select Board and Budget Committee met jointly Feb. 4 to review Peterborough Fire & Rescue and EMS budgets. The groups approved moving the proposed budget forward, authorized a $12,000 purchase for department management software and decided not to reduce ambulance coverage from two vehicles.
Chief Ed Walker presented the Fire Department budget and requested $12,000 for a records and asset‑management software package that includes a $3,000 initial setup fee and ongoing maintenance. The software, the minutes state, will replace the department’s current mix of spreadsheets and forms, allowing tracking by apparatus, kits and training records. Deputy Brad Winters and committee member David Odland supported the purchase, arguing it will improve efficiency and safety and likely save costs over time.
Chief Walker also told members that New Hampshire regulations require station uniforms without PFAS by July 1 and said only one manufacturer currently offers PFAS‑free turnout gear, which will increase the uniforms budget. He noted the salaries line rose—partly from COVID era adjustments and recent raises—and that the retirement account saw a significant jump because of a correction to last year’s budget; the department plans to absorb an approximate $30,000 correction by reducing training or deferred maintenance to remain within gross appropriation.
On EMS operations, Walker said the service staffs two ambulances 24/7 with eight EMTs and nine paramedics and serves multiple nearby towns. Deputy John Fahey explained the billing process: Medicare and Medicaid reimburse at fixed, lower rates; private insurance reimbursements are declining; insurance adjustments and write‑offs occur when insurers do not fully pay; and the department offers financial hardship grants. The minutes say EMS revenue declined after COVID and the service now operates as part of the general fund rather than as a self‑supporting enterprise. The net cost per resident for ambulance service was reported as $41, compared with $0.90 per resident for police.
After discussing possible cuts, the boards concluded that reducing ambulances from two to one would worsen service quality and create offsetting added costs for on‑call staffing; they therefore declined that reduction and moved forward with the budget as presented. The minutes record the decision but do not show a formal roll‑call vote for the budget motion.
