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Resident praises long-serving volunteer, urges board to protect volunteers amid staffing changes
Summary
A resident told the Limerick selectboard that longstanding volunteers such as "Mister McClain" have been crucial to emergency response and warned that policy or pay changes risk dividing the community and reducing volunteer availability.
A resident speaking at the start of the meeting urged the Limerick selectboard to support volunteer emergency responders, saying long-serving volunteers have repeatedly answered calls and helped keep the town's fire-department costs down.
"Mister McClain was there first at least 10 times and always the first there," the resident said, describing how he arrived for medical calls for a family member. The commenter said volunteers' time and devotion make a measurable difference for the town's budget and community safety and expressed concern about actions the board might take "before it gets to bigger steps" that could push volunteers away.
Board discussion that followed referenced a recent Robins Lumber fire and broader community efforts to recruit volunteers. One speaker said recent changes have created "a situation where everybody's got to get paid," and that has affected turnout in nearby towns. That exchange underscored the trade-offs the board faces between professionalizing response and sustaining volunteer participation.
Why it matters: Volunteers reduce the town's expense for emergency services and provide local coverage that residents said was lacking in earlier years. Community speakers warned that changes to compensation or policy could weaken an informal but essential support system.
Board members did not take a formal vote on volunteer policy at the meeting; the discussion remained in the public-comment and general-debate phase. Staff and trustees noted the topic may affect future budget and personnel decisions, and residents urged more community engagement before any policy changes.
