Emergency officials in Wilton will form a committee to see if there are ways to work more cohesively – including looking at the option of housing the ambulance facilities at the recently renovated fire department, at the request of the Select Board.
During the Select Board meeting on Monday, member Steve McDonough proposed that the town consider putting the ambulance facilities in the recently enlarged fire station.
“This isn’t a new idea. This conversation comes and goes,” said McDonough. “I happen to be one of those people that think it would be a good idea.”
McDonough said that there was a potential cost savings, pointing out current building repairs to the ambulance bay, and saying that the conditions there made it so that ambulance staff didn’t want to stay there – going as far as to term the building a “toilet.”
While Wilton Ambulance Chief Gary Zirpolo said in an interview on Tuesday that he is not adverse to having the discussion, or to forming a committee to look at other options for some of the town’s emergency services, he denied that the current building’s condition was as dire as McDonough was making out.
“It is a serviceable building,” said Zirpolo. “Could we do additional things to make it more livable, more comfortable? Yes.”
While McDonough suggested the committee look specifically at housing the ambulance at the fire station, resident Tom Schultz protested that the committee shouldn’t necessarily go in with a “foregone conclusion.” Schultz advocated for a more exploratory bent. Select Board Chair Kermit Williams agreed, ultimately making the motion that the town form a committee to “look at synergies between emergency personnel” that included the town administrator, representatives from police, fire and ambulance, and a member of the public, which Schultz, who has experience on both ambulance and fire departments, but does not serve on either, volunteered to fill. The board agreed that any conclusion reached by the committee would have to be put before the voters at Town Meeting for a decision.
Zirpolo said there are options to explore besides McDonough’s, including working together to find a solution to the difficulty in filling on-call and volunteer positions and the flexibility of having more than one facility housing ambulance and fire.
“If we can make the fire station work and it is what’s best for Wilton, Lyndeborough and Temple, I am all for it,” said Zirpolo.
Ashley Saari can be reached at asaari@ledgertranscript.com