Town of Princeton, MA
Meeting Minutes
Public Safety Committee
November 23, 2010
Town Hall Annex
Chairman Sulmasy called the meeting to order at 5:02 PM. Members present were Bill Dino, Jon Fudeman, Stan Moss, Bob Sauer, and Neil Sulmasy. Charlie Schmohl was absent. Also attending were Selectman Edie Morgan and Town Administrator John Lebeaux
Acceptance of Minutes
The Committee unanimously voted to accept the minutes of November 3, 2010 with clarifying language inserted as proposed by Bob.
Discuss Draft Regional Dispatch Recommendations:
Jim reported to the Board that the Barnstable regional dispatch service is fire/EMS, but does not include police, and that there is another exploration under way for a Capewide regional dispatch model. Both Jon and Bill questioned if the draft overstates the level of the Committee’s current support to move Princeton to a regional dispatch service.
The Committee agreed that the current Rutland model is very similar to Princeton’s with a single call taker/dispatcher on duty. Though there might well be cost savings if the town were to join with Rutland, there was no expectation that public safety would improve.
Stan expressed his concern about the financial and logistical aspects related to making the transition to a regional system. He questioned if it could be achieved by July 1, 2011 the date Worcester’s service will become active.
Bill reported that he believes other towns would be receptive to a model in which communities maintain local dispatch but enter into intermunicipal relationships in which communities become secondary Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPS) for one another to provide pre-arrival instructions, and at a higher level, to trade off as the primary dispatch center for one another during off-peak overnights.
Jim reiterated his support of Princeton moving toward a regional dispatch as the savings realized could fund other public safety needs like an n additional police sergeant, an administrative FTE, and a full time fire chief. Others commented that a full time fire chief who served as a Paramedic would need to work additionally in a busier EMS environment to maintain professional standing.
Bob felt there were still too many unresolved issues to recommend to the Selectmen that the town move to the regional model.
The consensus was that that the Committee leans towards Worcester as the best alternative on the table at this time, but there were still too many unanswered questions about that system, particularly how that system would integrate with Princeton’s call Fire/EMS responders.
Future Schedule
The Committee directed John to contact Dave Clemons, Worcester Emergency Communications Director and arrange a meeting with him in either Princeton or Worcester.
Changes to Emergency Medical Dispatch requirements
Bill Dino informed the Committee that standards are changing and that a Paramedic-Basic service no longer requires a waiver. Such a service must soon provide EMD and also have a procedure in place to provide service by two Paramedics when a situation requires that level of service.
Other Business
The Committee asked John to arrange meeting dates in early December for Chief LaPorte and his senior officers to meet with Committee, and further to ask Chief LaPorte to develop a document with the various tasks performed by Fire/EMS and how the officers manage them.
The meeting adjourned at 6:44 PM by unanimous vote.
Respectfully Submitted,
John Lebeaux,
Town Administrator
Referenced Documents
Draft Regional Dispatch Recommendations to BOS, 11/21/10 (N. Sulmasy)
Mass. Dept. of Public Health, Office of Emergency Management Services, Ambulance Inspection Report Form-PB Min Staffing Report
| 
