FARMINGTON — Residents approved the addition of four full-time firefighters to the Farmington Fire and Rescue Department, ending recent debate over how the town should address the staffing issues the entirely volunteer department has been experiencing over the last decade.
Voters at Town Meeting Monday night had the final say on Fire Chief Terry Bell’s 2016 budget request of $434,792 in Article 11 on the Town Warrant, which included the addition of four full-time firefighters/EMTs to aid the department’s shrinking and aging volunteer roster. During the budget review process the Budget Committee recommended accepting Bell’s request for additional staffing, while the Board of Selectmen recommended a status quo budget in order to take more time to research alternative solutions to the staffing issues.
Discussion at Town Meeting included arguments for and against the addition of full-time staff, but those in favor stressed the integral role the fire department plays in the community as the main reason for the acceptance of Bell’s request.
“We have to consider the safety of our community and the safety of our (firefighters),” Cheryl Best, a 22-year resident of Farmington, said in support of the Fire Department article.
This year’s budget is an increase of $32,979 over last year’s budget, which included no full-time positions except for the fire chief. Currently the department’s roster lists 25 volunteer firefighters with an average age of 53.
With the addition of four full-time firefighters/EMTs, the department will be staffed with two full-time firefighters working 12 hours a day, seven days a week. The full-time firefighters will rotate two days on and two days off, with one per-diem firefighter continuing to work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. On call firefighters will supplement the staff for emergencies.
Those against the addition of full-time firefighters floated the idea of regionalizing fire services with surrounding towns to heighten the level of service the fire department is able to provide, an idea Board of Selectmen chairman Joshua Bell said he would pursue if the article was not passed.
State Representative Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, stepped in as deputy moderator for the fire department article so meeting moderator Paul Mills could participate in the discussion and vote. To those who suggested regionalization as an alternative to full-time firefighters, Mills pointed out that Maine authorized the establishment of fire districts in the 1970s, but in his research he has not found one community that has “yet picked up that option to do it.”
Additionally, he urged the audience to support the article because the idea of volunteer departments is becoming outdated with time. “Even though (volunteer departments) may inspire us a great deal, it is not something that can protect us today, and I certainly hope we accept this article,” Mills said, to which the audience applauded.
The approved addition of $32,979 to the department’s budget is based on the 39 weeks left in the 2016 budget year following Town Meeting. Bell said that for a full 52-week year, the budget will increase from that figure to about $52,000 or $54,000.
About 100 residents filled the Community Center gymnasium for the meeting, which lasted just under two hours, wrapping up shortly before 9 p.m. Every item on the 43-article warrant was approved, resulting in a budget of $5,421,031, an increase of 1.54 percent over last year’s budget.
Elections for five municipal elections were also held Monday with results being announced at the start of Town Meeting. Selectmen Michael Fogg and Joshua Bell ran uncontested for their seats on the Board of Selectmen and were each re-elected to serve another three-year term.
In other uncontested races, Ryan Morgan, Scott Erb and Doug Dunlap were each elected to serve as representatives on the Regional School Unit 9 board of directors.
Lauren Abbate — 861-9252
Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate
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