BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – In late August, at meeting of the Rockingham Fire Equipment Committee, both the Rockingham and Saxtons River fire departments presented a proposal that expressed their interest in merging into one department, as opposed to merging with the Bellows Falls department as to create one department. The committee includes the fire chiefs of the three departments: Rockingham Chief Kevin Kingsbury, Bellows Falls Chief Shaun McGinnis, and Saxtons River Chief Art Smith.
This all comes after a study conducted by AP Triton LLC, a Wyoming-based firm specializing in fire service, fire prevention, and emergency medical services, which recommended that the three local fire departments – Bellows Falls, Rockingham, and Saxtons River – merge into one district-wide fire department.
The Bellows Falls Village Fire Department serves the one square mile that makes up the village, has paid firefighters and chief, and houses a more updated facility and better equipment than the Rockingham and Saxtons River departments. Merging the three departments would allow for better distribution of resources and manpower.
Additionally, the Saxtons River fire station all but needs to be replaced, which would mean a new fire station for the two departments would have to be built at a cost of approximately $1.5 million.
In the Rockingham/Saxtons River proposal, it is stated that the merger of just the two departments would enhance response of personnel and equipment to fire calls in both coverage areas, and would also solve Saxtons River’s current manpower shortage.
“Any time you undertake a process that could impact organizations with over 200 years of service, it is a challenge,” Bellows Falls town manager Scot Pickup said in a recent interview. “The three boards have made it clear that not only is there a potential to save taxpayer support to equipment and trucks, it is also a chance to look at training, response times, and other operational improvements.”
Currently, taxpayers from all three municipalities pay for three separate departments, no matter where they live, and the town also has duplicate and unnecessary apparatus. Additionally, there is no municipality-run fire department currently in the Town of Rockingham. The Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department Inc. is a private corporation that receives funding from the town.
“The new proposal calls for a new, municipally-run fire and rescue department to serve the entire town of Rockingham,” Bellows Falls Fire Chief Shaun McGinnis said in a recent interview. “Both Saxtons River and Bellows Falls would be asked to transfer ownership of all equipment to the newly formed department.
“Both Saxtons River First Response Rescue and the Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department would be encouraged to apply and join the new department. This new proposal keeps all three stations open in the town, including a new station in Saxtons River, and no stations would be closed.”
The AP Triton study indicated that the new department would offer better chances of quicker response times and standardized fire department operating procedures town-wide, which would make it safer for firefighters. It also indicated a cost savings of roughly $150,000 per year, plus other equipment savings moving forward.
In another recent development, a number of Rockingham residents have been developing a petition that opposes the proposed merger of the fire departments. The petition was started by a longtime Rockingham resident, after a discussion about the possible merger with Rockingham Volunteer Fire Chief Kevin Kingsbury.
Their main concern over the merger is the number of miles between the Bellows Falls fire station and residents who live on the outskirts of Rockingham and other areas such as Bartonsville. They are not only concerned about the possible loss their fire station, but also their rescue squad, as well as the possibility of a tax increase.
The next Tri-board Meeting to further discuss the potential merger of the three fire stations is scheduled for Oct. 22.