Residents, selectmen and fire officials spent one of the meeting’s most extended blocks on an article that would fund three full‑time firefighter positions for six months — a proposal intended as a step toward 24‑hour full‑time coverage.

Why it matters: The fire department’s staffing model affects response times for fires and medical calls. Meeting presenters said volunteer ranks have fallen sharply over recent years and that the town’s call volume has risen.

What presenters said: Selectman Brendan Philbrook read the majority report supporting the article and described changes in call volume and volunteer availability. Deputy Chief Jeff Marshall told the assembly bluntly: “This is a staffing problem.” He urged voters to consider how the department’s volunteer complement has declined and how that affects service consistency.

Budget advisory committee and minority views: The BAC supported the article with a 7‑support, 2‑abstain vote (committee members who abstained cited need for more information). Selectman Chris Labonte read the minority view opposing the article’s current form, warning that moving to 24‑hour shifts could risk losing volunteer members and lead to a large recurring annual budget increase.

Amendment and accounting: Selectman Tim Feynon moved to add explicit wording clarifying the six‑month appropriation covers wages, benefits and other costs associated with “enabling this new staffing model.” The assembly adopted that amendment and accepted an inserted sentence that records an approximate full‑year cost of about $555,399 as the expected annual impact in future years. The moderator then instructed the clerk to publish the article on the ballot with the adopted amendment.

Reasons cited for the step: Fire presenters documented a fall from 48 volunteers in earlier years to about 17 at the time of the meeting and a rise in incidents (673 in 2014 to 851 in 2024). Chris Pank (reading part of the BAC’s report) offered a personal anecdote on medical response, saying, in describing a past delay: “If it had been a major heart attack, I wouldn't be here right now.”

Key implementation questions raised: Residents and some board members asked whether the article’s $277,195 six‑month figure would also cover overtime, training and related start‑up costs and whether the town should first use short‑term grants to trial full‑time coverage. The minority urged caution about adding permanent recurring expenditure without a multi‑year plan.

Outcome: The amendment clarifying scope (wages/benefits/other costs) passed and the clerk was directed to place the amended article on the ballot. The ultimate decision on whether to adopt full‑time staffing will be made by voters on election day.

Quotes
- Deputy Chief Jeff Marshall: “This is a staffing problem.”
- Chris Pank (budget advisory committee, speaking as part of the majority BAC report): “If it had been a major heart attack, I wouldn't be here right now.”