West Stockbridge — With longtime Fire Chief Steve Traver retiring, the West Stockbridge Select Board unanimously approved Stockbridge Fire Chief Vincent Garofoli to lead the department beginning January 1. The November 4 decision also serves as the initial action in a larger plan to unify the fire and emergency medical services (EMS) of the towns following months of public meetings between officials of Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, and Richmond.
“This is sort of the first small step in what we see as a longer contract in fire and EMS strategy for both of our towns,” Stockbridge Town Administrator Michael Canales said at the meeting.
The group began working in August, initially on a plan that would include the three towns, but the project recently aligned the interests of West Stockbridge and Stockbridge for a shared fire and EMS program encompassing around-the-clock services via eight full-time, paid employees backed by volunteers. It also adds a new fire station slated for West Stockbridge Road to maximize accessibility for both towns and improved response times.
The proposal splits the approximately $1 million costs of the staff’s annual salary and benefits between West Stockbridge (40 percent, or $387,420) and Stockbridge (60 percent, or $589,785) based on municipal population. Stockbridge alone would assume the station’s construction costs, with those costs funded by a $5.2 million loan, or $354,000 per year, amortization included.
“Richmond is looking like they’re going to eventually have their director of EMS also become their fire chief, so that’s why I’m recommending, and Mike [Canales] is recommending, that we appoint [Garofoli] as our fire chief,” said West Stockbridge Town Administrator Marie Ryan.
The appointment is contingent upon the Stockbridge Select Board approving the measure as well.
“We’re trying to work on something here for the future that’s going to benefit everybody all the way around,” Garofoli said.
With the project anticipated to be up and running by 2028, Stockbridge would maintain its current agreement with the towns of Lee and Lenox for EMS coverage in the bridge period while West Stockbridge would continue its current shared-ambulance agreement with Richmond for those services for the interim two years. “That would give them time to figure out what they’re going to do, and it would also have us covered as well,” Ryan said, adding that she will be working with Richmond’s town administrator next week on drafting a new memorandum of understanding between the two towns.
Fire support and the command structure for both West Stockbridge and Stockbridge during the bridge years would be provided by Stockbridge, with those costs split by the same 60 percent (or $154,571) for Stockbridge and 40 percent (or $101,535) for West Stockbridge as when the full program takes effect. That coverage includes up to 10 hours daily, seven days a week, with the staff addition of two firefighters
The plan also includes the purchase of a primary ambulance at an estimated cost of $450,000, with that cost split 60 percent and 40 percent between the towns’ coffers.
Road closure
According to Ryan, from 4 a.m. until about noon on November 7, Route 41 extending to the fire station will be closed as crews cut down a local Norway spruce tree that will serve as Rockefeller Center’s official holiday tree in New York City. As a result, motorists will be rerouted around Pomeroy and Fort Washington Square in both directions.
