Dear Editor,
Once again, the issue of merging Fire District 1 and 2 in Cavendish has been brought up by a few citizens. I have been on the Cavendish Fire Department since 2017, and on the Cavendish Fire District 2 since 2019. I have also been involved in the unsuccessful attempt to merge the fire districts. The rules regarding fire district mergers are set out in Vermont statute. They can be found online at www.legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/fullchapter/20/17. Specific guidance regarding these mergers can be obtained through the Vermont League of Cities and Towns at www.vlct.org.
I am aware of at least four unsuccessful attempts at merging the districts in the last 40 years. A number of proposals have been on the table.
After both studying the statutes and the process involved, being on the receiving end of the fierce animosity of those opposed to the proposals that meet statutory muster, as well as learning about the demographic and economic challenges of the rural fire service, I have a proposal of my own. I understand it will have the same naysayers, and meet with the same hostility from a vocal minority.
I believe the current fire districts should be merged into a municipal fire district. Our neighboring town, Ludlow, offers a model for this governance. Our town selectboard should be the overseer of one department in Cavendish, with the town manager being the designated supervisor of the chief and any employees the town needs to cover both EMS and fire service. We have two great fire station buildings in Cavendish. They are an asset to the community. They are both paid for. The equipment and apparatus in the Cavendish Fire Station are owned fully either by the taxpayers of Cavendish Fire District 2, or the Cavendish Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) corporation. The engines and equipment are fully maintained and pass state inspections. I would like to see Cavendish Rescue and EMS remain in place at the Cavendish Fire Station with one engine/tanker always remaining at the Cavendish Station to meet ISO standards, www.bankrate.com/insurance/homeowners-insurance/iso-fire-ratings, for homeowners insurance for those of living out in the Knapp Pond side of Cavendish. The Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) fire station has a lot of calls to cover on the incredibly busy Route 103 corridor, including what appears to be a rapidly increasing number of mutual aid calls to both Ludlow and Chester.
PVFD has a capable, qualified, motivated, and invested deputy chief. The selectboard should hire him. You will need to pay him the average salary of a Vermont fire chief, which is $112,255, and a full benefit package. It is a lot of money, but it is way past time to pay the full value of what a good chief can offer. Running a rural fire department requires an enormous amount of work in building maintenance, fire engine upkeep, equipment maintenance, logistics, training, recruitment, and retention of both paid staff and volunteers. Cavendish and Proctorsville have two major state highways that see not only private passenger traffic, but commercial truck traffic that carry hazardous materials at all hours of the day and night. We also have a rail line that carries dry goods and liquid hazardous materials. Even with both departments and mutual aid operating with depleted numbers, the town and region are not prepared for a mass casualty incident, and we need to be.
As for the decades-long “tit for tat” relationship between departments, this can go away with the professionalization of a municipal department. All current volunteer members of both departments should be welcomed into a new merged district with both stations under combined and unified fire command. As for the town selectboard, no officer or member of either department should be allowed to serve on that board, as this is a clear conflict of interest and will only continue to exacerbate the long unsavory and sad relations between department members. The stipulation needs to be written that the CVFD station not be closed. I have worked successfully for many months to obtain a large grant to bring this building into ADA compliance and make it energy efficient. The stipulation of this grant is for the non-fire-and-rescue portions of the building to be open, once again, to the public for meetings and events. I am also researching utilizing two rooms in the building as affordable rental housing for traveling nurses in our area. The housing shortage in our area is severe. This requires meeting bureaucratic code and safety requirements. It is a work in progress, but I believe obtainable.
If my memory serves, the last non-negotiable offer that was on the table from our neighboring department was that the CVFD members and the Cavendish Fire District 2 hand over the keys to the station and all of our equipment, and walk away. The members would be allowed to apply to PVFD as probationary members. First, the Cavendish Fire Station and all engines belong to the taxpayers of Cavendish Fire District 2. These taxpayers have a legal right to be involved in the process of any district merger. Second, the shortage of qualified volunteers in the fire and EMS service necessitates that no willing volunteer be alienated from the community they serve. www.dailyyonder.com/calls-are-up-volunteers-are-down-a-crisis-looms-for-vermonts-fire-departments/2023/10/05.
To be absolutely clear, the responsibility for any fire district merger does not belong to me, but to the voters of Cavendish, Vt.
Sincerely,
Stu Lindberg
Cavendish, Vt.