Freetown Boards Review Fire, Police Staffing and Solar Energy in Joint Budget Session

FREETOWN -- April 26, 2023, Freetown Select Board and Finance Committee reviewed police, fire, animal control, and building budgets in a joint session April 26. The Fire Department's chief made the case for two new firefighter-paramedic positions, noting that his primary ambulance is on pace for roughly 1,200 calls this fiscal year, up from 869 in fiscal year 2019, while 54 percent of calls occur when only two personnel are on duty. Ambulance billing revenue has grown from $481,804 in fiscal year 2019 to a projected $800,000-plus for the current year. The outgoing police chief explained that a budget increase from roughly $2.4 million to $2.5 million is almost entirely contractual, and a per diem consulting line was added to allow him to train his successor, tentatively Sergeant Rose, after his retirement. The town administrator reported more than $25,336 already spent on police station repairs this fiscal year, driving a maintenance budget increase from $5,000 to $25,000, and said a May 4 meeting with a solar vendor is scheduled to explore panels for town buildings.