NORTHFIELD — As Northfield residents digest the news that Thomas Aquinas College will receive the former Northfield Mount Hermon School campus, the town’s emergency services consider how an increased population would impact what they do.
Emergency Medical Services Chief Mark Fortier, Police Chief Robert Leighton and Fire Chief Floyd “Skip” Dunnell III anticipate an increase in call volume, though nothing EMS, the Police Department and Fire Department can’t handle.
“I don’t anticipate there’s going to be any adverse issues with the college coming to town,” Leighton said. “I don’t see it being something that would overwhelm us. Maybe down the road, we’ll end up with a higher volume of calls, but it’s not something I’m concerned about.”
The National Christian Foundation, which owns the campus, announced last week that Thomas Aquinas College, a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Santa Paula, Calif., will be given the core campus on May 2.
Thomas Aquinas College President Michael McLean said he plans for the first classes on the Northfield campus to begin in the fall of 2018, and hopes eventually to enroll between 350 and 400 students. He intends to introduce four faculty to oversee two classes of 18 students each in the Northfield campus’ first year. By enrolling 36 more students each year, enrollment after four years would reach nearly 150 students, growing gradually.
Selectboard Chairman Jack Spanbauer said that though the college is a nonprofit and wouldn’t be taxable, he hopes to negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes in exchange for the town’s various public safety services.
Leighton, Fortier and Dunnell predict the increase in population will lead to more calls about medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents or lockouts, and fire alarms.
Anne Forsyth, director of college relations and assistant to the president, said about a quarter of the 385 students at the California campus have cars, and Northfield could see a similar percentage.
Forsyth added the Santa Paula campus has intramural sports, including basketball, volleyball, hockey and soccer depending on the demand. She expects the same sports will be played in Northfield, which Fortier noted produces the possibility of sports-related injuries.
“It is a different demographic, and I do anticipate us seeing more college-related issues, which we may not have seen prior when it was a high school campus,” Fortier added, such as drug- and alcohol-related calls.
Forsyth said drinking and drug usage aren’t allowed on campus, except occasional drinking for those of legal age at a college-sponsored event.
“Violations of these rules would normally result in expulsion,” she said. “In addition, we ask students to comply with local ordinances and comport themselves well when off campus. Should they fail to, they could be subject to disciplinarian action.”
Crime has been rare in the college’s nearly 40-year history. Speaking to past deans and assistant deans, Forsyth said only one remembers a student driving under the influence 12 years ago, and he wasn’t allowed to return to school.
“I think it’s fair to say that there will be minimal impact as far as arrests are concerned, based on our experience here,” she added.
The Santa Paula campus does not have its own police department, but does employ security guards.
“I’m sure we’ll have some kind of security system, whether we’ll have to employ guards for it, I’m not sure,” Forsyth said, noting that perhaps resident assistants (RAs) could oversee security.
Dunnell said the Fire Department already responds to the unoccupied campus 12 to 14 times per year for fire alarms and activated sprinkler systems, and doesn’t suspect a “great increase,” especially since the school will house fewer students than were on the campus in its peak.
Given the gradual increase in students and staff at the Northfield campus, Fortier, Leighton and Dunnell don’t foresee needing to add more staff.