MILFORD — Milford City Council approved a request from the Carlisle Fire Company to withdraw $200,000 from the Public Safety Enhancement Fund.
The vote followed a detailed presentation from company president Lewis Sacks, who explained how the money would support the department’s preparations for a new substation on Cedar Beach Road and improvements at the EMS quarters.
Sacks told council the request covers three capital needs. He said $75,000 would be used to buy and outfit a vehicle that will serve as a manpower transport unit for members responding to calls from the new substation. The purchase will also allow the department to shift an older traffic-control vehicle into service at that location. Another $75,000 is designated for protective gear that must be placed at the substation to meet requirements set by the State Fire Commission. Sacks noted that the station cannot operate without meeting those gear standards. The remaining $50,000 is intended for upgrades to the EMS quarters at the main station to improve the workspace for personnel assigned there.
Council asked for an update on the timeline for opening the new station. At last month’s council meeting, Sacks said a new fire engine was expected to arrive at the main station and will be ready once driving and pumping training is completed. He told officials the company hopes to have the substation operating as early as January 1. He added that Carlisle must still return to council for conditional use approval because the Cedar Beach Road building sits in a residential zone. Sacks said that request could appear on the December agenda.
During the discussion, council members referenced earlier concerns about slow response times to the southeast side of Milford. Sacks said the new station should help volunteers who live in that area, many of whom have difficulty reaching the main firehouse during periods of heavy traffic. He said having gear and apparatus on that side of town will allow crews to begin responding more quickly.
Council also asked how many vehicles the department expects to assign to the substation. Sacks said the current agreement with the State Fire Commission permits only one vehicle, the engine scheduled for that location. He explained that the manpower transport unit is intended to ensure firefighters can reach an incident even if a driver for the engine is not immediately available. He said it is too early to know whether additional vehicles will be added later and that the department wants to evaluate how the station performs before making further decisions.
City staff confirmed that more than $260,000 is available in the Public Safety Enhancement Fund and that the three items requested qualify as capital expenditures. The fund is supported by fees collected through building permits and is restricted to uses benefiting the fire service.
Council approved the request with five votes in favor. One member recused due to a connection with the fire company, and one member was absent.