Fire chief urges ordinance to bill fraudulent 911 burn calls; requests $23,000 pump replacement

William Graham, the town—ire Chief, told the Selectboard he has seen an "uptick in fire calls requesting a response to trash and/or illegal burns" that often turn out to be small, contained campfires tied to neighborhood disputes. He said those responses add unnecessary expenditures to the Fire Department payroll budget and asked the Selectboard to consider wording in the town ordinance that would allow the town to hold a caller accountable for costs associated with a proven fraudulent 911 call concerning trash or illegal burns.

"As Fire Chief he is able to request a copy of the 911 dispatch and as it is public information," the minutes record. The board asked William and Town Manager Ryan Lockwood to work together to investigate how and where to update the ordinance and to return with recommended language at the next Selectboard meeting. William also requested approval of a $23,000 expenditure to replace the department's air cascade booster pump, which he described as "living on borrowed time"; the minutes record the request but do not show a board vote on the expenditure.

Board discussion noted the state's authority on open burning — "if there is a state-wide fire ban then no campfires should be lit" — and reiterated that burning trash or illegal substances is never legal. The Selectboard did not adopt a billing policy during the meeting but directed staff to investigate ordinance language and implementation implications, including how dispatch records would be used and how billing could be assessed and collected.