Templeton meeting their obligations??
Having just read the article in the Gardner News concerning Templeton and Phillipston regionalization of fire chief / fire services and ambulance. Phillipston selectmen Terry Dymbek was quoted as stating one of Phillipston's first concern woulld be whether Templeton woulld meet its obligations should the two reach an agreement. Really Mr. Dymbek? How about Phillipston start paying for use of Templeton senior center services and how about Phillipston begin paying their fair share for dispatch services. Since it costs Templeton taxpayers about 300 thousand dollars in just salaries for dispatch, how about Phillipston begin paying 150 thousand dollars for dispatch services. Better yet, pay half the total cost for the service which includes health insurance and retirement. I have to ask what is the benefit to Templeton with regionalization of a fire chief? It will benefit Phillipston but how will it benefit Templeton? That is a question for selectmen to answer publicly.
posted by Jeff Bennett
How has our town reached this all time low ? There was a day that every precinct had their own fire trucks and station ? Being a fireman was a time honored position, even if it was a on call position. I still see the men and women who have a interest in protecting their community, attending to the equipment on Saturday mornings. Do these people deserve their own leader ? I most certainly think so. Why designate the Fire Department to a department that does not require it's own Chief in it's own community ? A fire can cause the loss of everything a person owns, the lives of everyone a person loves, and depending on the circumstances, the loss of vital records, that are important to the community as a whole. The Fire Department of today does so much more than was ever done in the past. A fire Department today deals with chemical spills, and hazardous waste, something no department ever dealt with in the past. Having a Fire Department, even on a part time basis, is as important as having our Police Department trained and ready to do their job. You may think this is not true, but I would not want it to be any of our citizens, waiting for the fire truck to come while their house is on fire, especially if they have a loved one in danger. Every Town has priorities, and our own Fire Chief should be right on top. This is my opinion, Bev.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair on regionalization I think both communities have to be near the same size and same call volume. This would be a win for phillipston and a cost to Templeton
ReplyDelete