FROM THE NEWSROOM: The Thompson Fire Protection Advisory Committee will be taking the next step towards solving funding issues for the town’s fire departments by sending out a letter to town residents to inform them of impending changes. As previously reported, stricter OSHA and federal guidelines have been making it difficult for departments to keep up with demands. Committee Chairman and Selectman Kerstin Forrester commented on how difficult it has become—not just in Thompson, but in many small towns—to attract volunteers, who are dissuaded by many factors. It now costs more time and money than ever to get properly trained, and some expensive equipment needs to be paid for by each individual. In concurrence with these factors, new volunteers find themselves doing fund drives to raise money instead of providing their services to the community. “Our volunteer firefighters have a lot more to offer than stand there and essentially beg for money,” said Forrester, commenting on a boot drive that she had driven by in Thompson Hill on September 2nd. While the boot drive did raise about $1,350, this manner of gathering funds is no longer efficient to support increased costs of training and equipment. Forrester and the Committee believe that it would be best if the fire departments were consolidated into an Association, which the town would then direct more adequate funding to in order to ensure for the best coverage possible. This arrangement would also result in transparency for each department’s data. Forrester stated that she hopes to get the new system implemented for the next budget season, but between now and then there will be town informational meetings, hoped-for feedback from residents, and eventually a better idea of what kind of financial impact will be had. Currently, there are no estimates. According to Forrester, letters will be sent out to registered citizens next week.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 11:28:17 +0000
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