Fire chief outlines staffing gains, grants and multi‑year vehicle plan

Deputy Chief Aaron Heath (speaker 7) told the board the fire department is nearly fully staffed, with several recent hires reaching the end of their probationary periods. He highlighted a New England Division recruitment and retention grant opportunity described in the meeting as “just over $3,300,000” that could help equip and recruit volunteers and provide training resources.

He also reviewed long-range apparatus planning: remounting an ambulance on a van chassis could cost roughly half of a new ambulance and offers operational flexibility in winter, while a full replacement of Engine 2 is on a 600–800 day manufacturer timeline and will require careful cash‑flow planning. The chief discussed grant options (a DES reimbursement grant with a $250,000 maximum) and recommended quarterly or monthly deposits into the revolving fund to ensure funds are available when vendor delivery schedules accelerate. Board members asked for clearer projections of billing revenue and how monthly deposits would affect tax-rate assumptions; staff agreed to provide modelled projections at the next meeting.