Belmont fire wants substation on Rte. 107

Fire Chief Rick Seigel is disappointed the board of selectmen is not supporting his department’s request for a new ladder truck, but he’s continuing to plan for the town’s growth — including the possibility of constructing of a new 3,200 square-foot substation on Route 107.

“We’re talking about a few years out — maybe by 2009 — if the town continues to grow as it has,” said Chief Seigel. “It would be for coverage in the areas around Route 107, including Durrell Mountain Road, Cotton Hill Road and the Province Road areas.

“We’re looking at the residential growth in that area,” Seigel said. “The people there deserve the services just the same as anyone else in town does. It’s kind of hard to justify (a new building) for one or two calls but we are seeing an increase. There are new buildings going up in the area.”

The new fire station proposal was included in the recently released six-year Capital Improvement Program. The CIP, which was the first comprehensive review of the town’s long-term plans since 1992, was drawn up by a committee using historical data and demographic trend. The committee tied the proposals to the Town Vision outlined in the 2002 Master Plan.

Chief Siegel said a new substation on Route 107 would cost about $350,000. The structure would likely include a two-bay garage, lockers, a kitchen and a bathroom area, he said.

“Maybe it would have a first responder unit that would be backed up by the main station,” the chief explained. “It would probably be manned by a day staff initially and later on — I’m talking maybe 10 years down the road — a night staff as well.”

In related news, the board of selectmen recently considered a request from Seigel’s department for a new ladder truck. The cost would be between approximately $650,000 and $850,000, depending on how the purchase was funded.

There was some confusion about the purchase initially because the department had altered its funding proposal from the one presented to the CIP Committee.

“It started out as an outright purchase of between $650,000 and $700,000 and we were going to use some of the money in our Comstar fund,” Seigel said. The Comstar fund consists of money collected from ambulance runs and is earmarked specifically for use by the fire department.

At the selectmen’s meeting, the department presented a new 10-year lease-purchase for the ladder truck. Seigel said the new plan would cost the town about $84,600 per year.

Town Planner Candace Daigle raised concerns about the change, pointing out that the CIP group had not reviewed the new plan.

“It’s awkward in that I would think you (selectmen) would want the help of the CIP Committee,” said Daigle, who worked with the planning group.

Chairman Brian Watterson said the board needed to proceed with its budget-making process, despite the problem.

“I admit that the timing isn’t very good for this year,” he said. “But whatever we do is secondary to what the people want to do at Town Meeting anyway… We can’t wait on the budget.”

Regarding the truck, Watterson said he was concerned about the cost, no matter how it was funded.

“I just can’t bring myself to support this,” he said. “Each decision is bound to money. If not, we’d build it all. It’s all related to what the community can afford, and does it fit with the other priorities the town has.”

Vice-Chairman Reggie Caldwell agreed and voted with Watterson against the proposal.

Roy Roberts, who just recently joined the board after the resignation of Dorayln Harper, indicated that he wanted to have more information about how much the truck is needed in town. He voted in favor of keeping the ladder truck in the budget.

“I just felt we didn’t have enough information at the time to take it off,” he said later.

Following the meeting, Chief Siegel said his department had requested the truck because the town is growing — and many of the newer buildings have roof structures that are harder for firefighters to deal with.

“So many have these new metal roofs which are extremely slippery if you have some water, ice or snow on them,” he said. “We had a chimney fire recently and a couple of the firefighters almost lost their footing. Snow doesn’t stick to (these roofs), but neither do firefighters.”

Another challenge comes with new truss roofs, which are built off-site and are supported by metal plates.

“The problem is when they’re exposed to fire or heat,” Chief Seigel said. “The metal plate are only about one-quarter inch thick and they twist apart.”

If a roof collapsed while a firefighter was on it, trying to create ventilation for a fire underneath, he could fall into the structure, Siegel said.

Experts feel that working from a ladder truck is much safer, the chief added.

Since the board of selectmen turned down the ladder truck idea, it will be reviewed by the budget committee before the annual Town Meeting in March.

“They have to decide what they want to do,” Seigel said of the budget committee members. “If they don’t support it, it probably won’t go forward — although someone always could bring it up on the Town Meeting floor.”

The select board will meet Monday night to review the fire department’s entire proposed budget for the new year.