PHILLIPS — The Fire Department meets high training standards in spite of its manpower limitations, fire Chief James Gould said at Tuesday night’s selectmen meeting.
Gould said he and his crew have answered 48 calls since July 1. He told selectmen he plans to have his department move to a higher level of first responder commitment for Rangeley.
Gould said the Rangeley Fire Department will notify Phillips immediately when they get a call, rather than having Phillips wait for a signal that goes to all surrounding towns at the same time.
Although Rangeley has an in-town fire station and an Oquossoc village station, specialty training can make the difference in saving a building.
“They don’t have many firefighters trained for interior structure fires,” Gould said.
He explained that existing mutual aid agreements among all Franklin County towns will provide the same reciprocal services when Phillips needs similar assistance. Each town assigns an incident commander who coordinates responders from other towns, Gould said, so resources are directed where they are needed most.
Gould supervises 22 firefighters and three junior firefighters but he said he could use additional volunteers who are willing to do the specialized training.
“We’ve lost a lot of people,” he said. “People join without realizing the commitment they have to make.”
Each firefighter’s gear costs the town about $1,700, he said, so a turnover in personnel can be expensive to the town.
“We’ve started replacing our large diameter hose,” Gould said. “We have to replace it every 25 years by law.”
The hoses must pass strict standards, and he plans to buy three sets of hoses each year to meet the required timeline.
Gould also suggested burning the town’s old firehouse after this winter. The building is locked, but a winter burn is more difficult to clean than one with bare ground, he said.
In other news, selectmen:
* Appointed Hope Griscom as a Planning Board alternate member.
* Agreed to schedule the employees’ Christmas Party for 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20.
Town Manager Elaine Hubbard noted that the office will close at noon on Dec. 24.
Hubbard also reported she is completing the transfer of remaining town accounts from Camden National Bank to Skowhegan Savings Bank. Skowhegan Savings Bank agreed to open a branch in the former Camden National Bank’s office in the town.
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