BERLIN – The Berlin Fire Company is seeking funding from the town for firefighting equipment, ambulance replacement and paving its overflow parking area, among other items.
Berlin Fire Company (BFC) officials told the Berlin Town Council Monday they were hoping the town would support the organization with some of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The money could help purchase firefighting equipment, aid in EMS costs and fund the paving of the grassy field currently used for overflow parking.
“We would blacktop it so that way it could be open no matter what the weather permitted when there’s town events or events at the fire company,” BFC President David Fitzgerald said.
During the BFC’s quarterly update to the council, Fitzgerald said that at Mayor Zack Tyndall’s request, the fire company would be making some ARPA requests. While Fire Chief R.J. Rhode talked about the need to replace breathing apparatus, a $225,000 expense, Fitzgerald brought up the issue of paving the two-acre grass lot behind the fire house. In recent months, the BFC has opened the parking area to the public during town events in exchange for donations.
“If we have any rains prior to an event we cannot open that,” he said. “That would mean tow trucks coming. One of the things, looking into ARPA funds, was infrastructure, economic development, things like that, so that was an idea we shared with our membership and got their permission to add to this request.”
He said the BFC had reached out to Davis, Bowen & Friedel Inc. for an estimate on the cost of paving the lot.
“There is one little caveat, an 18-foot wide piece by 220 feet long that we don’t own,” he said. “The county commissioners have given their preliminary approval to deed that over to us. That actually belongs to the property that the library has … They have no objection at this point to deeding that over to us.”
Tyndall asked if the fire company would consider letting the public use the lot once it was paved.
Fitzgerald said that was something the BFC would have to discuss. He said the fire company would likely continue to offer parking during town events in exchange for donations.
“If we pave it, we’re going to have upkeep and maintenance,” he said. “That would help us generate some sort of small revenue.”
Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood asked if the fire company’s main parking lot was typically full.
“We do not have enough space,” Fitzgerald said.
He said the fire hall held 336 people and had slightly more than 50 parking spaces. He said the conference center — the old library — had about 20 spaces.
As far as EMS operations, the fire company’s report listed cardiac monitors ($40,000), an event response vehicle ($40,000), ambulance replacements ($470,000) and additional EMT night staffing ($80,000) as ARPA requests. Fitzgerald said that while an extra $115,000 from Worcester County had helped with EMS staffing, overnight the fire company still only had one crew on duty. He said the county wanted the department to have two crews on duty 24/7.
“We have more simultaneous calls than any of us can remember,” Fitzgerald said. “We just attribute that to growth and development and traffic through the whole county not just Berlin.”
The special event response vehicle, similar to the ATVs used at football games, has been discussed previously as a way to respond to medical emergencies during Berlin events when the streets are crowded and blocked off.
“We’d be transporting you back to the fire station to get you into a regular ambulance,” Fitzgerald said.
Councilman Jack Orris asked if the COVID relief funding the fire company had already received could be used for the utility vehicle. Fitzgerald said the BFC had received $22,000 but hadn’t received approval to spend the money yet. The funds will not be used to buy a vehicle, however.
“They were used to balance this year’s budget,” Fitzgerald said.
Tyndall asked that the fire company submit a formal ARPA funding request denoting exactly what the BFC was seeking from the town, as Fitzgerald said the organization was presenting ARPA requests to both the municipality and Worcester County.
