FinCom votes to restore second ambulance

Responding to the impassioned remarks of Selectmen Chairman Victor Del Vecchio about the importance of a second ambulance, the Finance Committee voted last week to transfer $113,000 from the town’s reserve funds to boost the Fire Department’s minimum manning level and restore the department’s second ambulance to full status.

Canton Fire Department's Ambulance 2 (www.Firenews.org)

Fire Chief Charlie Doody had made the difficult decision back in December to reduce the minimum manning from 11 to 10 in an attempt to offset escalating overtime costs. As a result, he had no choice but to limit the hours of the second ambulance to weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

In a recent interview, Doody stressed that the department has been receiving mutual aid from other communities during evenings and weekends, adding that response times have been only a “few minutes” longer at most. Yet he also pointed out that mutual aid is intended for emergencies and therefore not a long-term solution.

According to the chief, a combination of retirements, long-term work-related injuries, and the loss of a firefighter to overseas duty in Afghanistan had caused overtime costs to soar. He said he first alerted selectmen to the problem in late November, but it worsened with additional on-the-job injuries and several major winter storms.

Last Thursday, Del Vecchio appeared before the Finance Committee and implored the committee’s members to support Doody’s request, saying the overtime problem was not his fault but rather the result of a variety of unexpected and uncontrollable factors.

On Tuesday night, after announcing the FinCom vote, Del Vecchio told the Citizen, “We agree with the fire chief that it was a ‘perfect storm’ of problems. The chief worked within his budget and alerted us to the situation. We support him and went before the Finance Committee.”

Doody was pleased with the response from selectmen and the Finance Committee and thanked them for their actions. He also realizes that it is the community’s priority to have two ambulances in use at all times. A few years ago, the issue was magnified when the fire department, because of a shortfall in funds, was unable to respond promptly to a call at a CHS football game, causing selectmen and FinCom to find money to restore the second ambulance.

“It is very clear to me how important it is to have two ambulances running, but I have a financial responsibility that I can’t overspend my budget,” explained Doody.

The chief said he now has enough money for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends June 30. He anticipates two more retirements in May, which would necessitate the hiring of two new firefighters and also require the department to pay for the cost of their training at the Fire Academy. Selectmen are currently reviewing town budgets for next year.

Both the FinCom and selectmen praised Doody’s handling of the budget, noting he has implemented several cost-saving measures, including applying for insurance funds for those who are out on long-term injuries; using some of the injured men for light work as allowed in the firefighters’ contract; limiting fire alarm mechanical repairs to only regular shifts; and applying for military funds for the firefighter serving overseas.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Feb 24 2011. Filed under News, Police & Fire, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.