As the first warrant for Spring Town meeting was published in the Enterprise, many critics will say "oh, the DPW and Fire Department are looking for money, I wonder what they 'need' now". But someone who is more in tune and pays attention to how the town operates would know that this isn't simply another case of "oh, they just want to spend a bunch of money on something they don't need". The Fire Department will bring to town meeting a request to replace apparatus, two class A pumpers, a brush breaker / tanker, and an ambulance, and replace the cardiac monitors we currently have. As well as, make the next step into the computer era with optaining laptop computers for electronic ambulance billing.
As far as the replacement apparatus goes, I feel in my opinion this is much needed, of the groups of engines needing replacement, two of them are 1987s and two of them are 1989s. That in itself to me is argument enough to justify their replacement nevermind the volume of use and wear and tear they have gotten over the years. The breaker / tanker replacement is justified due to the fact that the piece of apparatus being replaced was taken out of service at the end of March due to mechanical issues, the tanker was a 1965. The ambulance to be replaced is a 1997 with over 100,000 miles on it. That also should be reason enough to justify to the towns people its replacement. Especially, in my opinion because this piece of equipment brings revenue into the town. The cardiac monitors are also in need of replacement because like any piece of equpiment, time takes its toll on them.
Electronic ambulance billing is becoming more poplular for many reasons, the most important ones being saving time, manpower, and drastically cutting down on the time it takes for billing to be processed with insurance companies therefore, the town gets paid faster when services are rendered.
So please keep these things in mind in the coming months during the Spring Town meeting, and during the May voting if this article passes town meeting.
