SOUTHWICK – Southwick’s Fire Chief, Russ Anderson, presented his Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget overview to the Select Board on Tuesday evening.
Anderson brought forth a budget consisting of fire and EMS (Emergency Management Services) that is $281,295 more than last year’s FY18 budget and a 5% increase from last year’s budget. The fire and EMS sections consist of the day to day operations for the department and including supplies, education and training, maintenance, etc.
The larger expense items requested are not in the fire and EMS portions of the budget but rather in the capital budget. Some of these bigger needs are the purchase of a new ladder truck as well as an engine truck. According to Anderson, the ladder truck will cost roughly between $800,000 and $900,000 and the engine truck around $300,000.
The Select Board looks over the Southwick Fire Department’s FY18 budget with Chief Anderson. (Photo courtesy of Greg Fitzpatrick)
One item in the fire section of the proposed budget is the request to add a part-time inspector. Previously, the inspector’s positions at the department was only a per inspection position. This requested position would be 20 hours per week.
“There’s a lot of time involved,” said Anderson.
In order to make sure the department is always active with safety regulations, the part-time inspector will be asked to look at all the liquor licenses in town, inspecting items such as smoke detectors, and doing annual inspections.
Anderson also discussed the need to make some facility and security upgrades. With the building being 17 years old, Anderson said there are security cameras, tables, chairs, mattresses, and other little things that need to be upgraded.
“There’s a little bit of everything in that case to be addressed,” said Anderson.
Anderson said he’s included firefighter’s turnout gear in his proposed budget. Turnout gear consists of all the protective clothing that firefighters wear when responding to a fire.
