SOUTHAMPTON — As one of the smaller municipalities in the region, the town relies on part-time employees to maintain police, fire and emergency medical services.

However, in the last decade, Southampton’s call volume has nearly doubled and finding enough people to provide around-the-clock services has proven increasingly difficult. It has proven so challenging, in fact, that Fire Chief John Workman says the town’s ambulance is not meeting state standards for advanced life support, paramedic level service.

On the police side, Chief Ian Illingsworth is also struggling with shift coverage. With the Police Reform Act requiring all full- and part-time police officers to have the same training requirements, he’s found that many part-time officers have little time or incentive to increase their level of training. In 2022, 2,074 shift hours were covered by part-time police officers – a 54% decline since 2020.

To bring the ambulance service back into compliance with state standards and to bridge the gap created by the void of part-timers police officers, the town is asking voters Tuesday to approve an Proposition 2 ½ override of approximately $332,500. The money would be used to hire up to two full-time paramedics, one full-time police officer, one part-time shared public safety administrative assistant, ambulance equipment and additional resources to maintain fire trucks and ambulances to equip them to necessary standards.

The override cleared the first hurdle at the May 9 annual Town Meeting, but the question must also be voted up or down at the town election Tuesday. The elect will take place at the Senior Center, from 12-8 p.m. If voters approve the override, the tax rate will increase 34 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, Select Board Chairperson Chris Fowles said. With the current tax rate at $14.33, residents’ tax bills for a single-family house assessed at $250,000 will increase $85 per year, or $21.25 per quarter. For a single-family home assessed at $500,000, the bill will increase $187 per year or $46.75 per quarter.

“Our residents believe we are providing 24/7 service, but we are not meeting those expectations,” Fowles said. “This override will support costs in the public safety category of our fiscal year 2024 budget,” “We’re asking voters to approve a slight increase in real estate and personal property taxes to ensure that we can provide adequate 24/7 ambulance and emergency services.”

Currently, 40% of the time Southampton Fire relies on and pays for advanced life support coverage from either Easthampton or Westfield fire departments, said Workman, who is the only full-time Fire Department employee. As such, this does not meet the state requirements of the town’s paramedic-level license.

“It’s hard for us to get paramedics on nights and weekends, because it’s a second job here. It’s easier for them to give up a day than it is to give up their family time,” Workman said at last week’s Town Meeting. “Since they’re part-time, I can’t make them work more. I can’t hold them over to cover those shifts.”

Although the town approved paramedic-level ambulance services some 10 years ago, Workman said that one of the challenges he’s faced is that no funding source has ever been designated to pay for the service.

Comparably, a basic life support service includes two emergency medical technicians, whereas an advanced life support service includes at least one paramedic, and is equipped with advanced airway equipment, medications and IV fluids.

In addition to the new positions and equipment, the override will also fund an independent outside assessment of the town’s current Fire and EMS capabilities and future needs, Town Administrator Ed Gibson said.

Another variable in maintaining the town’s public safety services is the fact that Workman, who is 62 years old and was hired as the town’s chief in 2013, is poised to retire in June. Fowles said that the town intends to hire an interim former fire chief and use the funding in the override to get a better sense of the needs of the town’s fire and EMS department.

Uncontested races, empty seats

Much like last year’s election, there are several empty seats on multiple committees. Gibson and Fowles both agreed that finding people to serve on elected boards has once again proved challenging. And with less people serving, Gibson said there are increased responsibilities on those who do serve.

“These boards and committees need to have a quorum to operate, and if there are only three members, those members have to make it to every meeting to meet that quorum,” he said.

Fowles said that there have been numerous efforts to try and encourage residents to serve. At one point, she and others reached out to residents by thumbing through the streets list and seeing if anyone had an interest in voluntering. Unfortunately, she said, they didn’t get too many takers.

“It’s really tough trying to get people to volunteer, especially those with younger families,” she said. “With busy schedules, less and less people are willing or able to run for an elected office.”

The only contested race is for the two empty seats on the Park Commission. Alice Marie Badecker, Gregory Maak and James Lumbra are all vying for the vacant seats.

With Francine Tishman and Maureen ”Reeny” Groden not seeking reelection to the Select Board this year, there are two open seats for the three-year terms, which Daniel Lavalley and Stephen Thor Johnson hope to fill.

Running unopposed for the Board of Assessors, Darcie Gasperini is seeking reelection for a one-year term, Barbara Sinopoli is seeking a two-year term, and Lucinda A. Palmer is seeking a three-year term; Judy A Kuehner is seeking a four-year term as almoner; for the two, three-year terms of Community Preservation Committee is incumbent Janet Brown; for the Housing Authority, Daniel Lavalley is seeking a five-year-term; and for the Planning Board, Stephen Thor Johnson is seeking a four-year term and Mark Bolton Darnold is seeking a five-year term.

Incumbent Jon D. Lumbra, Kim Schott and Margaret Ann Larson are running for the three seats on the Norris School Committee.

Incumbent Donna Whiteley is the lone candidate for the Finance Committee, seeking a one-year term. No one is running for the two-year term or three-year term.

Linda Saltmarsh is seeking reelection for a three-year term as a library trustee. There are two other empty seats.

Newcomer David Kent is running for a one-year term on the Personnel Policies and Procedures Board. There are also two other vacancies: a two-year term and a three-year term.

No one is running for the three-year seat on the Hampshire Regional High School Committee or for the three-year term as a water commissioner.

Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.]]>