WaylandPublicSafetyFirst012908

Job one for a board of selectmen is public safety
The Massachusetts Municipal Association Handbook says it. Mayor Menino of Boston has said it. Job one for a Board of Selectmen is to protect and defend public safety.
But to believe this you just can talk the talk. You have to walk the walk. To me this means that if an override ballot question is to be proffered by a Board of Selectmen then the funding of public safety and, in particular, the funding of life support equipment, facilities and personnel who are ambulatory in nature - must be protected above all else.

When I was on the Wayland Board of Selectmen that was just not the case. The talk was there, the walk wasnt. Except for Selectmen Douglas Leard - and its important to set the record straight on this.

Cochituate Fire Station #2 is South Waylands lifeline to timely Ambulance service. Cochituate is the most densely populated part of Wayland. Cochituate has the oldest population in Wayland. How can anybody put Fire Station #2 at risk of closing, even part time, or suffer some or any degree of a downgrade of service ?

The ugly truth is that Cochituate Fire Station #2 was played like a pawn in the Wayland override of 2006 and the Wayland override of 2008. In 2006 I fought for a Menu style to separate live and death services from non-life and death service. I was outvoted and then refused to endorse the 2006 override as a single YES or NO. In 2008, knowing that a Menu would not pass through that Board, I attempted to create the smallest possible service priority. One that would not allow Cochituate Fire Station #2 to be played like a pawn. On January 29th, 2008; late at night and during Selectmens Reports and Concerns I decided to voice a motion to place Public Safety First once and for all. Here is what happened.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Wayland
• Public
• Safety
• First
• Override
• Cochituate
• Fire
• Station