Letter: ‘Please consider supporting Question 6 on Tuesday’

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Letter to the Editor iconIt’s time Northborough!    Anyone remember what was going on in 1975?   Here are a few hints.

The Viet Nam war ended.

8 track tapes were cool

Wheel Of Fortune debuted

A stamp was $.10, and gas was $.53 gal

Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed Microsoft

 Jaws premiered

Gerald Ford visited China

Busy times in 1975, and here in Northborough it was no different. We built a fire station.  It was a very nice fire station at the time.  Designed to house eight vehicles and provide space for two folks to answer the phone and maintain the equipment.  The department was 100% volunteer at the time, so there was no need for quarters to house the crew.  EMS was handled by a separate entity in 1975.  

50 years later like everything else, a lot has changed.  Instead of 8 vehicles we now require space for 18.  No longer just a call department, we now need sleeping space for 7 firefighters (along with gender specific facilities).   EMS is now a large part of the department as well.  

While the current station once met our requirements, that time has long since passed.   The current building not only does not come close to meeting space requirements, it is also detrimental to the health and safety of our firefighters.   There is no space for decontamination when returning from a call.  Firefighters sleep in the same area as turnout gear and equipment that contains known carcinogens.  Recent studies have shown firefighters have a 14% greater risk of dying from cancer due to these contaminates.  The roof leaks and the sewers back up on a regular basis into the building. 

Over the past 50 years, Northborough has invested in our schools and our library, we built a Senior Center, a police station, and a DPW facility along with many other worthwhile projects.   We’ve always done our best to do the right thing and today is no different.

It is time we build a new fire station.  

Please consider supporting Question 6 on Tuesday, November 6th.

Respectfully,

Jeff Amberson

Northborough

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