THE TOWN OF MILTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, WAS ORDERED BY THE STATE back on February 6th to vacate its Fire-Rescue building within 15 working days.

Firgeezer reported the situation to you HERE.

Milton FD photo

Their old fire/rescue station, which began its life as a horse barn in 1830, was condemned.  When the deadline arrived at noon on the 22nd, they moved all their belongings and office supplies into a work trailer that has been set up alongside the old building.  They are permitted to continue storing the vehicles (they have 9 of them) in the old building and can enter it only to start up a truck and drive it out.

But the trailer is so small and uncomfortable that the FF’s have no room to move around or congregate.  And the facilities are so poor that they are ready to hang it up.  While they are running more calls than ever before, Fire Chief Andy Lucier says that morale is at an all-time low.

The Foster’s Daily Democrat reports:

In the makeshift trailer headquarters, this will no longer by physically possible — the total area is 350 square feet, but much of this space has to be taken up with filing cabinets containing records, a dispatch area, a table for report writing, a computer and Internet hook-up, and a small office area. This leaves room for perhaps four chairs, estimated Lucier, as he eyed the space last week, as plumbers were trying to defrost water pipes and a toilet — but scarcely room for a crew coming back in the middle of the night after dealing with a nasty auto accident or a house fire.

 
Fire Chief Andy Lucier makes a final dispatch shortly before the vacate deadline last Friday.
(Jim Nolan / Times photo)

“Morale in the whole department is a problem. Everyone is discouraged,” said Lucier.  Last year an article on the town warrant seeking to raise $950,000 for a new station was rejected by voters, with 451 opposed and 350 in favor. It would have required a 60 percent majority (481 in favor) to pass.  The members of the department feel that they are getting no support at all from the community.

The Foster’s Daily Democrat tells the whole story and even more problems that are possibly dooming the FD’s future HERE.

Milton Fire - Rescue Dept. WEBSITE.

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