Negotiations with SFDI

A date for a second negotiation meeting between the Select Board and SFDI has not yet been scheduled. The follow-up meeting was to negotiate the lease agreement for the Town's two firehouses, owned by SFDI and leased to the Town, with the possible transfer of ownership of the firehouses to the Town.

As of the closing date for this issue of The Times, the Select Board reported that they had been in touch with the lawyers for the Sandisfield Fire Department, Inc., but had as yet no reply. Town Manager Janey Snyder said that she did not know if a scheduled SFDI board meeting on September 17 had taken place.

Ralph Morrison, president of SFDI, said to The Times, "We're still working on stuff."

The Board commented that their last proposal to SFDI about the lease was that the Town was willing to double the rental for the buildings to $20,000 per year for five years, with the Town to assume ownership at the end of that period.

Information on the Department

At a Select Board meeting mid-September, two residents indicated that they would like to have better information about changes that were being made at the Fire Department.

Chairman Steve Seddon said that the fire chief had recommended forming an ad-hoc committee to look at what kind of emergency services the Town wants and to get ideas from residents. The committee has yet to be formed, but Steve added that no decisions on budget or the fire department's process would be made without input from residents. "If people behind the scenes want to join the ad-hoc committee they're welcome. That way they can be part of the process."

Fire Station #2 is staffed currently 24 hours a day by paid per-diem firefighters/EMTs. Fire Chief Mike Grillo said, "Anybody can stop by the firehouse whenever they see anyone there. We pull the trucks out on sunny days. I've given out my cell phone and email address. I've been at every Select Board meeting since I was hired. I don't know how much more accessible I could be."

Steve Seddon added that the change from volunteer firefighters to per-diem responders was made "when people quit suddenly and we didn't have anybody. The per-diem process got us to 100 percent in a very short period of time. We had to be responsible and respond, knowing it was going to cost us more than we figured."

However, the previous leadership of the fire department was doing the ambulance billing improperly - and in some cases not at all - causing the Town to lose $100,000 last year and over $340,000 over the last five years, Seddon said. "Our new Chief Grillo has identified this deficiency and has made corrective measures to ensure proper billing. Those funds will offset any increase due to the per-diem costs, essentially giving the Town a superior service without significantly increasing next year's budget. We will need to appropriate more at a Special Town Meeting for this fiscal year to pay bills that had been neglected, purchase of safety gear that was past expiration by decades, and to cover the cost of per-diem coverage because we won't be able to use the retrieved ambulance funds this year as they fall into free cash and ambulance stabilization fund for future use."

A Selectman's Story

At the same Select Board meeting, Selectman John Field leaned back in his chair and presented his own viewpoint.

"Personally," he said, "I sleep a little better at night knowing that if my house torches up I am about 4 miles from a fire station with people there. You can save a house that way.

The emergencies that happen, medical emergencies, you have minutes to work with. Having that paid staff is necessary. Volunteerism is wonderful. But I think you need a mix of both. You have enough bad stuff happen, you can appreciate a quick response."

Fire Chief Grillo interjected, "The other day we had people drive to the firehouse with a medical emergency knowing there were people there."

Field replied, "That's a safety net that is worth so much."

Anybody Need a Slightly Used Ladder Truck?

As The Times was near deadline, Fire Chief Mike Grillo presented the Select Board with a series of proposals, one of which was the leasing of a ladder firetruck currently owned by one of Grillo's companies in Connecticut.

It seems that Grillo, having at one time planned to start a private fire department, owns five fire trucks. He recommended to the Board that the Town lease a 2006 Ladder Truck owned by one of his companies for $1 a year, with the option to buy the truck for $20,000. He said the truck had been inspected, but the Board replied that before they considered the idea they wanted to see documentation of the inspection.

Apparently the truck's ladder and turntable would require certification, which would cost about $5,000. The Select Board expressed concern about repairs on a nearly 20-year-old truck, which could be extensive.

Another issue is that the Town has few buildings taller than three stories and lacks garage space for vehicle the length of a ladder truck.

The Select Board said they would consider the proposal.