Firefighter Pleads for His and Others Job not to be Cut

During last night's public hearing on the town's budget,  Aaron Roy pleaded with selectmen not to cut the $142,0496 out of the fire department's budget, which would likely mean he would lose his job.

The decrease in the fire department's budget reflects a 5 percent reduction from last year's budget of $2,896,008 to $2,652,377, which would Roy said would result in layoffs at the department.

As the town grows, the fire department responds to more than 2,000 medical calls in a given year, and that number is expected to increase to almost 3,800 by next year.

Most fire departments run their fire trucks with up to four firefighters, which he learned when he trained three years ago, according to Roy.  In Shrewsbury, the town runs the fire trucks with two firefighters who are required to do two people's jobs. If the budget is cut, Roy said the trucks would run with less crew and it would be close to impossible to respond to the same amount of calls throughout the town.

Even now, Roy said that when responding to multiple medical calls, the fire department and ambulance have to prioritize the calls.

"When we have four calls at the same time, which has happened recently, the ambulance can only go to the most critical first," said Dave Hodgerney, president of the Shrewsbury Firefighters Association #4613. Hodgerney said that the town has great equipment at the fire department, but it won't continue to work with layoffs and less firefighters.

Roy has been a firefighter for three years and is vice president of the Shrewsbury Firefighters Association $4613.

The education department salary increases was also raised by Town Meeting Member John Lukach, of 4 Bunker Hill Rd.

"Other towns are freezing salaries and there are no salary freezes in the school department," Lukach said. "The teachers negotiated step increases were delayed last year by six months, but they were still given out."

Town Manager Daniel Morgado said the town can't spend what we don't have, which is why the fire department budget has been cut along with more then $2 million from the school department budget for 2011-2012.

The selectmen's budget hearing was closed and the budget will be voted at the annual town meeting in May. For a copy of the town budget, visit the town's website.