CONWAY — Amid low staffing in some of the town’s public safety departments, the Selectboard heard from the police chief, fire chief and ambulance director on Monday about future plans.
Fire Chief Robert Baker told the board that he oversees 11 active firefighters and is in the process of hiring two more, but their availability is largely limited to the night.
“The daytime is a very horrifying situation,” Baker told the Selectboard, noting that he recently responded to a day call alone.
“In the very, very near future, I’m going to retire,” Baker added. Although he has not settled on a date yet, Baker expressed concern for the gap in daytime coverage that his retirement could create. Selectboard Vice Chair Christopher Waldo offered to work with Baker to help him solidify a succession plan.
With only five EMTs serving Conway instead of the ideal 10 to 12, Ambulance Director Gemma Vanderheld also voiced concerns for emergency response on weekdays.
“The daytime coverage is definitely the worst,” Vanderheld told the board, noting that she is often the only EMT ready to respond to a call on weekdays.
Although two individuals expressed interest in serving Conway as EMTs after a drowning at the Conway Community Swimming Pool in July, Vanderheld said her pitch for becoming a volunteer EMT in a small town is a hard sell.
To lighten Baker’s and Vanderheld’s workloads and boost the town’s emergency response, Baker suggested the town consider hiring a firefighter with EMT qualifications to work weekdays.
On the other hand, Police Chief Donald Bates informed the Selectboard that his department is not experiencing the same staffing issues.
Although Bates has not lined up a succession plan, he said he would likely reach out to the Whately Police Department if he were to retire. With trust in neighboring police departments, Bates said, “There would not be a hiccup in the town.”
New ambulance on horizon
Vanderheld also mentioned she is “in serious talks” with PL Custom to order a new ambulance. Vanderheld could not provide a cost estimate for the ambulance at Monday’s meeting, but she noted the town would not have to pay for the new ambulance until taking ownership of it in about two and a half years. She said this window of time creates a cushion for the town to secure funding through grants or other means.
“We’re making headway,” Vanderheld said. “We’re making progress.”
