Fire Chief Mary Regan stands before the FInance sub-committee for the final time. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Westfield Fire Chief Mary Regan presented her final budget to the Finance sub-committee on Wednesday, and said she will attend her final City Council meeting on Thursday before her retirement on July 6.
Chief Regan’s budget of $5,596,862 for the Fire Department and $3,084,792 for Ambulance includes 90 total personnel, she said.
Finance sub-committee chair Daniel Allie asked how the department was doing as far as overtime.
“The overtime budget is level with last year. Over the last four years, there has been a decrease each year in the amount of overtime,” Chief Regan said. She also said they will have a lot of new hires next year, due to a large reserve force that started in 1987, many at the same time, who will retire at the same time. Regan added that overtime comes out of ambulance revenue, and none is in the Fire Department budget.
In terms of equipment, Chief Regan said they are “in great shape.” The tower truck purchased four years ago typically lasts 20 years. The department also just received a new engine, first response vehicle out of the ambulance account. “We are in great shape in terms of vehicles in the department right now,” she said. She said the cost of the tower in the Fire Department budget is $177,000.
Chief Regan said the Fire Department has a 25-year plan to rotate engines. As one is completely paid for, they replace the oldest engine. “As the tower comes to full pay, we’ll probably look to replace the oldest engine – three years out,” she said.
Allie asked whether the raised cross walks downtown have caused problems for the engines. The chief said rises in the road causes “a little more” wear on springs. She said the department has adjusted by taking Mechanic and Washington streets instead of returning through downtown. She also said the new truck is 48,000 pounds before equipment is added.
At-large Councilor Matthew Emmershy asked with the heavier weight of the new engine, how this would affect Cowles Bridge. “We’re going to apply for a waiver for this new truck. It’s going to be pretty close,” she said.
Chief Regan also said the new truck will replace Engine 4 at headquarters. Engine 4 will become 3, 3 will become 2, 2 will become the spare truck, and one will be sold.
“Back when the Fire Department did most of the dispatch, they could make the determination to send out an ambulance but not a fire truck. Now that dispatch does the calls, would be more intuitive for the Fire Department,” asked Allie.
Regan said it could work both ways. “The standards for dispatching for engines with ambulance calls is exactly the same as before the dispatch center. We have laws that require that we send an engine on calls,” Chief Regan said. She said there are paramedics on the engines to help carry the patients, adding that the stretchers are 80 pounds before people get on it. The engine companies also get the backboard to help to move equipment and 02 bottles. “We have a guideline that requires that engines respond,” she said.
Allie asked how many personnel could be on an ambulance.
Fire Chief Mary Regan. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Regan said on occasion they could have two patients. “If we put those personnel on the ambulance, the engine would be out of service. Now we send them out until they are no longer needed and they return to service, able to go immediately on call,” she said, explaining that any time they move people in the department because so many are on dual positions, that takes people out of service. “It is better for our department to send the engine,” she said.
“The Fire Department saves lives. Sending out two trucks on each run may seem foolish for somebody who falls and twists their ankle,” but not for anyone critical, commented Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski.
Chief Regan added that when they run that engine out of headquarters they have medicine onboard, and it’s important to have all those people on the scene. In addition, she said it keeps the engines running, especially in the winter. “We don’t get a lot of fires in Westfield, 190 to 195 on average,” she said.
Regan said on the ambulance side in the budget, $348,792 is for a new ambulance. “Every three years in Westfield we replace two ambulances. It’s the best equipment hands down in the area; best service because of the equipment we have. We service surrounding towns because we’re a paramedic service. We’re running on five ambulances a day,” she said, adding that the equipment line also increases with the purchase of a new ambulance. “Typically, when we purchase a new ambulance, we try to put as much new equipment as we can.”
Emmershy asked if the same went for fire engines. Regan said they can only purchase things with the ambulance fund that are related to medical, and have to purchase some through the fire account. She also said engines are completely custom built, and they have a committee working with the mechanic, to come up with the best options “to do the work that we need to do.”
Regan also said hoses are tested every year, with every length of hose tested to a certain pressure. “I do believe we’re in very good shape,” she said.
Emmershy noted that supplies this year increased by $10,000.
“The biggest issue on supplies is increasing costs,” Chief Regan said, adding, “It’s the equipment we’re using every day that increases in cost all the time.”
Getting back to the dispatch, Regan said the department is getting much more information than they ever did before. She said the last ten years on dispatch, the Fire Department had assigned people to that room, with a constant turnover. She said someone with a year’s experience didn’t have the expertise. “We work really closely with the Dispatch center; we have a committee that works closely with them. I really believe, looking at the education and training, that the dispatch in Westfield is much better quality than it has been for years. As chief in the department, I’m very happy with what’s going on in dispatch,” she said.
Emmershy asked Chief Regan if Fire Department vehicles go home at night. She responded that fire prevention officers, the chief and mechanic who have to respond take vehicles home.
“Thank you very much, thank you for all your service,” Allie said to Chief Regan.
