Chief James Beaudoin: Alton Fire Dept. in dire need of new equipment

To The Daily Sun,

There has been some confusion over the Fire Department Equipment Capital Reserve Fund concerning the fire boat and ladder truck replacement. We hope this letter helps clarify the facts.

The Capital Reserve Fund exists to replace and repair Fire Department equipment while limiting spikes in the tax rate created by capital expenses. The Board of Selectmen, department heads, and Capital Improvement Committee guide all capital expenses. The Selectmen are the agents to expend out of these accounts, and do so only after a majority vote in a public meeting.

The current fire boat is a 1997 Eastern retrofitted with a fire pump. The boat has many mechanical and electrical issues, and isn’t designed for emergency response. There have been times when the boat could not respond due to malfunctions. We respond to more than 20 calls for service annually on the water or islands. Responses on the water are high risk and low frequency, meaning they are some of the most dangerous responses. One major problem with the current vessel is the two places to lay a patient down either interfere with the pilot or cause the patient to get wet. The island residents deserve a capable unit for these responses. The CIP committee has valued the replacement at $350,000. There have been requests sent out to manufacturers and the bid process has started. Originally, the full cost of replacement was to come from the Capital Reserve Fund; however, we feel it is fair to fund the boat from both the FD Capital Reserve and the Ambulance Revolving Fund. The boat responds to calls divided equally between fire and medical. Without question, the boat needs replacing with a purpose-built unit, capable of proper patient care and fire suppression.

The more than 30-year-old ladder truck that has been out of service for two years also needs proper replacing. The truck has been in CIP for years, without replacement value. Projected replacement was for 2018. Unfortunately, funding did not occur. This year the CIP committee recommended $180,000 for the Capital Reserve Fund to stay on track with all funded items. The Selectmen, recognizing that the ladder truck remained unfunded, added $250,000 more to this request, with $200,000 coming from the unassigned fund balance. At this rate, the funding will take at least five years. With that said, the town cannot go another five years without the safety of a ladder truck. At the recommendation of the BOS, we searched for a used unit. We found a truck with low miles, low hours, and great maintenance for $75,000. The truck is a 1999 75-foot ladder and has five to seven good years of service left. It is important to remember that this newly purchased unit is a stopgap until the funding of a new truck, as we are still truly in need of an aerial device capable of over 100 feet.

The Alton Fire Department thanks the residents of Alton, Board of Selectmen, Budget Committee, and CIP committee for their support.

Chief James Beaudoin

Alton