Around Town

Extra Staffing Will Allow Fire Department to Provide Paramedic Service

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Watertown residents will soon be getting faster ambulance service, thanks in part to the permanent addition of four member of the Watertown Fire Department. Fire Chief Mario Orangio thanked Town Manager Michael Driscoll and the Town Council Tuesday night for adding the salaries of four firefighters into the town budget after they had been paid for by the federal SAFER grant for two years. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing on the SAFER hires,” Orangio said. “You have heard me the past few years saying how important it is to increase staffing. It will make a difference to the services we provide.”

Police/Fire

Old Home Serves as Great Training Opportunity for Fire Department

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Many of the Watertown Fire Department’s training exercises are done in the fire station, but a home set to be demolished by a developer provided a rare and valuable venue for training. Over the past couple weeks, Watertown firefighters got a chance to get out their axes, saws and ladders and hack into a home on Harrington Avenue that will soon be demolished by a developer. “It gives us the opportunity to do things we have not done since the (fire) academy,” said Lt. David Meagher, the department’s training officer. Since the house will be torn down, the firefighters didn’t have to worry about taking it easy on the walls and roof. “We cut holes in the roof.

Government

Fire Chief: Contract is Biggest Obstacle to Advanced Ambulance Service

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One of the goals of the Watertown Fire Department is to upgrade to advanced life support (ALS) ambulance service, but to do so Fire Chief Mario Orangio said the town will have to settle the contract with the firefighters union. Orangio presented his budget to the Town Council Wednesday night. Watertown has eight certified paramedics in the department. The Fire Department’s budget of $8.8 million includes $95,000 for equipment required to start-up an ALS service ambulance. Currently Watertown uses an outside ambulance service for ALS service, and the Fire Department provides basic life support (BLS) services.

Around Town

Council Approves Town Building Renovations, Vehicle Purchases

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Watertown’s capital improvement plans will focus on repairs to the some schools, library, two fire stations and Town Hall, as well as purchasing new vehicles. Tuesday night, the Council approved the Fiscal 2016-20 Capital Improvement Plan Tuesday night. See the entire list of recommendations adopted by the council by clicking here. The Council is working on the Fiscal 2016 budget, which begins on July 1, 2015. But it also includes recommendations from Fiscal 2013, 2014 and 2015.