|Penny Hilton|
New Gloucester Fire & Rescue should:
- Create an organizational structure with a clear chain of command.
- Develop and share a mission statement, and update the Fire/Safety Ordinance
- Form a membership/management committee to design enhanced communication, construct more positive relationships, and provide a mechanism for members to have an active voice within the organization and begin setting a vision for the future.
- Improve first unit response time to under 8 minutes 90 % of the time, and at least 16 personnel on the scene of any structure fire within 14 minutes.
- Recruit 10 to 15 new members within the next 3 years and increase the overall call member roster to 25-30 personnel.
- Formalize Mutual Aide agreements.
- Develop an Ambulance Billing Policy, as well as ancillary policies on “write-offs or waivers,” and receivables from those unable to pay.
- Upgrade the fire alarm system in the Fire/Safety building, adding carbon monoxide detectors.
- Buy a replacement Squad vehicle, and plan on adding a second ambulance and a multi-purpose 4WD SUV.
These are just some of the many recommendations, both general and specific, that appear in the Fire Management Letter Summary, created at citizen request by former-manager Paul First in the last week of his interim responsibilities to New Gloucester, and now posted on the town’s website. It summarizes the report made by Municipal Resources, Inc, (MRI) after a several-month study of the department, which included interviews with former and current fire/rescue and town personnel. The original report will not be released publicly in full, says Board of Selectman Chair Linda Chase, because it includes references to specific personnel. The report has not yet been discussed by the BOS.
This study was commissioned in December of last year after the town attorney made the suggestion in an executive session originally called, says Chase, to bring new selectmen up to speed on the laws regarding executive sessions and discussion of personnel. The idea of having some kind of formal review of town departments by a professional third party had actually been mentioned by BOS several times in the last few years, she explained, and when the attorney brought the idea up this time, the Board decided to act. The review cost $8,000, paid for from the Fire/Safety operations budget. A similar review, not yet summarized and made public, was done for the Public Works Department, with another $8,000 paid from that operations budget. MRI delivered the reports this April.
The report includes recognition of the several rocky years the Fire/Rescue Department has seen, citing the lack of “singularly focused leadership for many years,” and the devolution of the call department into “informal ‘camps’ that is showing to be destructive to the department”. The assessment notes the “new level of energy and enthusiasm” brought by the current chief, and the “many necessary and progressive operational changes” made in the last six months. It recommends that the pace of change, however, be slowed, and attention put to improving significantly member buy-in, involvement, recognition, and communications.
“The Town of New Gloucester is very fortunate to have a great core of dedicated members in its Fire and EMS Department. With some strong work the Chief Officers can lead this group forward to a common set of goals, “ it ends,” while letting the past be, the past.”
Note: Chief Martin has not responded to requests for comment as of the time of publication of this post.
