ROCKINGHAM, Vt. – On Saturday, Feb. 22, more than 100 residents of Rockingham, Saxtons River, and Bellows Falls gathered at the Rockingham Public Library for a presentation on the proposal for a newly consolidated Rockingham Municipal Fire and Rescue Department. Saturday’s meeting was the final opportunity for voters to review and discuss the proposed plan, as well as voice any questions or concerns before voting on the article at Town Meeting on March 1.
As written, Article 9 would, if approved, call for the creation of “a transition committee consisting of designated representatives from each of the three departments, and representatives from the Bellows Falls Trustees, Saxtons River Village Trustees, and the Rockingham Selectboard will be tasked to develop a detailed plan.”
The article further states that, “Upon completion, the plan will be reviewed and presented to the Rockingham Selectboard for adoption no later than July 1, 2026.” However, there was some resistance to that statement conveyed at the meeting. Several residents insisted the article should be amended to call for another townwide vote once the board had formulated a plan, rather than giving the selectboard the final decision. It was generally understood that voters would be allowed to amend the article to include such a provision at Town Meeting.
The initiative for a single municipal fire and rescue department was first introduced after Rockingham development director Gary Fox and Bellows Falls Fire Chief Shaun McGinnis applied for and were awarded a federal grant to fund a feasibility study. That study, aka the A.P. Triton Report, found that Rockingham could not financially support three separate fire departments, and the creation of a shared, single municipal department would reduce costs and improve efficiencies and response times. The full presentation can be viewed on the Rockingham town website, www.rockinghamvt.org.
The meeting was moderated by Village President Paul Obuchowski, who kept to the schedule, from 10-11:30 a.m., and outlined the rules to be followed. Ellen Clark-Lawrence, a 30-year resident of Saxtons River and four-year member of the Saxtons River Board of Trustees, led the slide presentation that covered the basics of the plan, which proposes to strengthen the emergency services provided to the community while increasing safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
Rockingham Selectboard member John Dunbar read statistics detailing the myriad skyrocketing costs for rural emergency service providers, reporting that Rockingham was on par with national numbers when it comes to low levels of recruitment, increased expenditures, and handling a higher volume of calls.
Board member and former Board Chair Peter Golec cited examples of how coordination between the three separate fire stations has not always been efficient, and how redundancy and response times would each be reduced by combining resources. “When that alarm goes off, you don’t care who shows up as long as someone shows up,” Golec commented.
Dunbar pointed out they were fortunate as a community to have three existing fire stations, and although the Saxtons River facility will need major repairs, there will continue to be three stations in the new configuration.
One financial concern voiced by some Bellows Falls residents was not directly addressed during the informational meeting. The Village of Bellows Falls had voted to approve a tax increase to fund the renovation of their aging fire station, with construction completed in 2022-2023. Many of those residents feel they should not be expected to contribute to the repairs at the Saxtons River station once the Town of Rockingham takes over.
Fox explained that federal grants are an important resource of funding for emergency services, and the redundancy issue affects the application process as well. With things the way they are currently, Fox said the departments are “competing against one another” for funding, and by combining efforts will likely be more successful in getting grant money awarded.
The discussion at Saturday’s meeting was at times emotional, with long-time resident Deborah Wright asking, “Are we currently safe?”
Priscilla Lambert, a BFUHS Board member currently running for re-election, admitted to being “filled with anxiety,” as “this vote is being pushed through with a lack of planning.”
Jamey Berrick, member of the Rockingham community, voiced his concerns with the proposal, claiming it is based on assumptions and estimates, and not enough input from the community.
Additionally, there was some talk of the “elephant in the room,” as one resident commented, which was that there were some members of the three fire departments who might be unwilling to cooperate in the event of a merger.
Rockingham Deputy Fire Chief Tim Jeffrey admitted that, “All my volunteers will walk” because of people on the Bellows Falls Fire Department that are “difficult to work with.”
Jonathan Shaughnessy, a volunteer firefighter for Bellows Falls and Putney, responded, “That drives me nuts, anyone who would quit…We are out there to help people.”
Another volunteer commented that someone causing issues would be disciplined, and if people leave, so be it. An additional comment suggested that a new, combined municipal department would incentivize younger members of the community to volunteer, and create a commitment to work together for a stronger future.
Putney recently consolidated their fire and emergency efforts, and Bellows Falls Trustee Wade Masure reported that, although the transition wasn’t without its “bumps and bruises,” the way the department is operating now is working. Shaughnessy echoed those sentiments. Masure named other communities that had gone through similar reconfigurations.
Ultimately, it will be the people’s vote that decides whether this proposal moves forward into the planning stages.
The Rockingham Town Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 1, at 2 p.m., at the Bellows Falls Middle School. Australian ballot voting for town officials will be held on Tuesday, March 4, at the Masonic Temple, 61 Westminster Street, beginning at 8 a.m. Town Meeting will be accessible via Zoom, but voting is only permitted in person.