A proud Fire Chief Scott Wiegel and Grant Writer Marcia Kessler met with the Rochester Board of Selectmen on September 8 to discuss the $120,155 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant funding awarded in August. This grant acquisition is a part of the larger FEMA $41,300,000 nationwide “SAFER” program, which is designed to improve fire response in communities.
According to Chief Wiegel, the funding will be divided over four years and will be used to recruit and retain highly qualified call firefighters. In particular, call firefighters who attend fire academy – a six-month, 240-hour commitment requiring on-site training in Fall River – will now receive a $1,500 stipend upon completion. “It’s a big commitment,” said Chief Wiegel of the academy.
Additionally, physicals that are required by the Commonwealth’s Human Resources Division (HRD) as a part of the firefighter academy prerequisite will be paid through the FEMA grant. Funding will also be available for personal protective equipment (PPE), totaling $8,600 per person in “turnout gear” over the four-year period. Old Colony Regional will be producing professional recruitment materials for potential call firefighter recruits.
Kessler said that the effort to retain existing personnel will come in the form of training and networking opportunities. The grant funding comes with the discretion to use roughly $10,000 on training, including sending existing personnel to the National Firefighter’s Conference, and $12,000 on call-fire response operational improvements. “It’s an effort to recruit new firefighters and to keep those that (we) have,” she said. This kind of training will also help in providing the department with more “Level II” firefighters, which is a standard that FEMA likes to see in a fire department.
“Well done. Both of you. Well done,” said Board of Selectmen Chairman Paul Ciaburri.
“We’ve done pretty well … thanks to Marcia,” said Chief Wiegel.
In additional fire department matters, the board heard a request from the Rochester Fire Association to hold a family event on October 4 at the town’s Pine Street facility. Chief Wiegel said that the event organizers knew that there could be no more than 50 people at the event at any given time during the day. “We will follow the guidelines,” he assured the board.
Selectman Greenwood Hartley said that the board’s primary concern should be event approval and use of town facilities, not to enforce the state’s gathering rules. “That’s the Board of Health’s responsibility, not ours,” he said, adding that the event will require Board of Health approval as well. The selectmen approved the use of the Pine Street facility for the Rochester Fire Association on October 4 and voted to waive the fee, with Chairman Ciaburri recusing himself.
In other business, the board approved and signed a conservation for the Old Middleboro Road property. Allen Decker of the Buzzards Bay Coalition assured the board that existing activities at the property, including hunting, will not be affected by the conservation restriction.
Connie Eshbach of the Rochester Historical Commission gave a sneak-peak at a historical plaque program that will promote the town’s history and share pride in the town’s collective agricultural story. Eshbach described the program as “voluntary” and that the process specifics will be shared on the town’s website at a later date. Eshbach said that the plaque program, as currently envisioned, will be available to houses built prior to 1970, and other eligibility requirements may be considered, including architectural significance, notable events and people associated with properties, etc.
Matt Monteiro of the Historic District Commission was also present, and said that the district commission was “on board” and, while the program has not yet been approved by the commission, he did not anticipate objections.
In her Town Administrator’s report, Suzanne Szyndlar said that the Town Hall is now equipped with new LED lights as a part of the town’s Green Communities designation. The LED lights will be extended to four town buildings total and will create approximately $20,000 in savings each year. The savings come from the smart use of light, including dimming to specifications needed, timing out when not being used, and preset schedules. “It’s a very nice system,” said Szyndlar.
The board will arrange for a goal-setting session, at the request of Selectman Hartley, who encouraged the other selectmen to come to that meeting with a “couple of goals” for the upcoming year. For Hartley, the finalization of town bylaws – including zoning bylaws – will top that list.
The board also welcomed new Rochester police officer Aaron Bates to the force.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, at 6:00 pm and will be accessible via Zoom.
Rochester Board of Selectmen
By Anne O’Brien