NH council opposed to firefighter grant

By Alec O'Meara
The Union Leader

LONDONDERRY, N.H. — Councilors have denied a request by fire Chief Kevin MacCaffrie to apply for a grant to increase fire department staffing.

MacCaffrie asked the town to pursue a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If the town was awarded the grant, officials would have the option of adding four full-time fire department positions. The town would be required to maintain its staffing levels for five years after receiving the grant, with the grant assisting with costs for the first four.

MacCaffrie pointed to the steady growth in town as well as the need to improve staffing levels throughout the department as key reasons to pursue the grant.

Board members were split on whether to pursue the grant, with Councilors Kathy Wagner and Paul DiMarco in favor and Mike Brown, Brian Farmer and Sean O'Keefe opposed. The councilors who were against the grant pointed to the costs associated with bringing in new personnel as well as the short time frame the board was given to decide. MacCaffrie first mentioned the grant as part of his budget presentation on Nov. 21.

"It's just too significant a decision, chief, for me to make a decision on this tonight. It is just too significant," Brown said. "This is a proposal to add net new (personnel). I'm not comfortable doing that in this compressed time frame."

Wagner and DiMarco said they understood adding bodies to the fire department would likely increase taxes in the long term but added they felt public safety was a priority for many residents.

"The one thing I've heard when I've worked the polls is boots on the ground, fire and police," Wagner said. "I feel this is a safety issue."

O'Keefe said he agreed with the points DiMarco and Wagner made, but the key factor for him was that he had not yet gotten to read through a study on the needs of the fire, police and public works departments over the next five to 10 years. The study, requested by councilors at the start of the year, was handed out Monday, the same day the Council was asked to take its vote on whether to pursue the grant.

"I just would like some time to soak that study in and look at it before we make a decision," O'Keefe said.

The Council is expected to hold a public review of the study following the budget season. All councilors said they would be receptive to looking at whether to pursue the grant and increase staffing as part of next year's budget cycle, should the grant still be available.

"Now is not the time to say yes to this. It is just too quick for me," Farmer said.

The Council will hold its next budget workshop on Town Manager Dave Caron's $25.9 million proposed budget on Monday, Dec. 14.

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