Fire Chief Urges Residents To Sign Up for Community Notification System

Fire Chief Michael Cassidy came before the at its meeting Monday night to talk about the Holliston's Community Notification System and urge residents to sign up for the service.

Cassidy also said he wanted to clear up some misconceptions about the system and how it notifies residents in emergencies.

He was inspired to appear at Monday night's meeting, he said, after residents asked why there was no notification during on June 1. The system, Cassidy said, is for "true emergencies" and he did not want notifications to become a "boy who cried wolf situation."

Though tornadoes ravaged western and central Massachusetts on June 1, there was never any threat to Holliston, Cassidy said.

"I was monitoring the weather all night on June 1 and at no time did I feel it was time to hit the switch and notify the community," said Cassidy.

Cassidy went on to speak about how the system works and why so few residents were receiving notifications. In January, Holliston switched to a new system after the old one proved too labor-intensive. The original system, which started five years ago, required constant manual updating, a practice deemed inefficient.

After a series of successful test in January, the town implemented a new "opt-in" system, which requires residents to input their own information. Now, residents signed up in the system receive routine notifications on their primary phone. Priority notifications, meanwhile, are sent to every contact in the system, including land lines and cell phones and via email and text message.

The problem, Cassidy said, is that only 1,600 emails have been entered despite having 7,234 in the database.

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In other business:

• Cassidy also praised the work on his on-call staff, which responded to three motor vehicle crashes within eight minutes of one another on Saturday. Three ambulances were dispatched and 11 patients needed to be treated, six of whom were transported to various hospitals.
  
  In related news, Andrea Gossels and Charles Roberts were appointed as EMTs Monday night.
• Selectmen amended the town's Flexible Benefits Plan according in accordance with recent changes to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations.
• The board also discussed new initiatives for the coming year. Kevin Conley said he wanted to expand Holliston's Internet presence, suggesting the town create a Facebook page and post photos of the Selectmen on the town's website.
  
  Jay Leary picked up on that theme, saying he'd like to update the town's website. Meanwhile, Chairman Jay Marsden reiterated his desire to find a use for the Andrews School building on School Street, which has been vacant for more than a decade.
  
  A title problem has prevented the school from being refurbished, leaving the building empty. A man donated the land to the town more than 100 years ago, with a provision stipulating it be used for a school. The property goes back to the man's heirs if no school sits on the land.
  
  But since no heirs of the man can be found, the land is the property of the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management. The town has been trying to get the land back in Land Court.
• The board also heard a presentation from Carl Damigella, the Chair of the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board. Since its inception five years ago, the MWRTA has grown to 11 cities and towns. The MWTRA's fleet includes 17 fixed route buses, all of which have bike racks.
  
  Operating out of its hub at 37 Waverly St. in Framingham, the MWRTA has "flag-down" and "on-demand" service in all of its member communities.
  
  The MWTRA's website also has GPS tracking of its buses and the organization is working on an iPhone application. Damigella said the MWRTA's services are especially convenient for senior citizens and high school kids.
  
  Damigella also said the MWRTA is also trying to persuade Milford and Wellesley to join its membership.