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Date: 8/22/2023
SOUTHAMPTON — The Southampton Select Board convened on Aug. 15 for a meeting that covered a range of topics, including concerns about the Fire Department, updates on emergency communications and progress on plans for a new public safety building. The meeting provided insights into the town’s ongoing efforts to enhance safety and emergency response capabilities.
The meeting commenced with a pledge of allegiance, followed by expressions of gratitude for the success of Celebrate Southampton — a community event hosted over the weekend of Aug. 12 with great attendance and positive feedback.
Fire Department transition and concerns
Ian Illingsworth, the police chief, provided a comprehensive update on the town’s transition from phase one of its emergency communications system to the city of Easthampton. He highlighted that the transition has been successful and collaborative, with Easthampton now receiving all 911 calls from Southampton. This change has been facilitated through the coordinated efforts of state emergency departments, local officials and the police department.
“One of the things I do want to recognize, take this time to recognize, we have several dispatchers that recognize that their part time jobs, as well as their full time jobs, are in peril right now,” said Illingsworth. “Despite that they really stepped up and they are working so hard to make this transition happen to allow it so we don’t have to have it staffed by the police officers because if the police officers staff it that means I have to take a police officer from the road.”
Illingsworth praised the dedication of dispatchers who have gone above and beyond to ensure a smooth transition, preventing the need for police officers to staff dispatch and maintaining safety for officers on duty.
One of the critical concerns addressed was the current condition of the fire station. Russ Anderson, former fire chief for Granby and Southwick, emphasized the need to improve facilities due to age-related deterioration and inadequate layouts affecting equipment storage. Anderson also suggested exploring temporary facilities while a new public safety building is in the planning stages.
Additionally, Anderson suggested various approaches to ensure 24-hour fire and EMS coverage, including collaborating with neighboring cities. He advocated for proactive measures, such as comprehensive inspections for fire trucks and maintenance of existing vehicles.
Interim Fire Chief Rich Fasoli explained that there were different options for the inspections.
“The 1911 inspection is basically for the over-road trucks. It’s called a DOT Federal inspection, it’s the same inspection, I’ve spoken to both neighboring fire departments. Neither of them do the 1911 inspection,” Fasoli said. “They both rely on the DOT Federal inspection and the state inspections.”
Emergency communications
Regarding the transition to phase two of emergency communications, Illingsworth expressed hopes for a target date in September. He noted ongoing collaboration with the IT departments of both Southampton and Easthampton to establish a virtual private network for efficient data access.
“I just want to say that’s where we really are right now. I’m hoping for a target date. I mean, it would be absolutely astonishing if we could get this done by the first week of September where we can go to a lobby entirely dark. I don’t think that’s probably going to be the case, so I think we want to have also a soft transition as well so a target date for me is certainly by the end of September but hopefully mid-September if we can get this working,” Illingsworth said.
Public Safety Building plans
The Public Safety Building Committee kicked off discussions with HKT Architects for a feasibility study. The committee, along with HKT, has embarked on assessing the needs of the police and fire departments through surveys and site visits. The committee anticipates completing the feasibility study by early March 2024.
Select Board reports
Various committee updates were shared during the meeting. The Technology Committee discussed Voiceover IP updates, website adaptation, and the pursuit of fiber optic internet service with South Hadley. The Planning Board reported no significant developments, while the schools and PPP (Public/Private Partnership) were noted as quiet. The Bylaw Review Advisory Committee and the Cost of Efficiencies Committee will be convening soon.
Upcoming meetings
The Southampton Select Board announced its upcoming meetings on Aug. 29, Sept. 12 and Sept. 26.