NEW GLOUCESTER – Voters at a special town meeting Monday approved removing funds from a capital reserve account to match a federal grant to buy self-contained emergency breathing apparatus.

Roughly 25 voters, mostly voluntary fire and rescue personnel, voted to approve spending $7,000 from a designated capital reserve account as the town’s portion of a $68,595 grant. The funds will be used to replace equipment with state-of-the-art, self-contained emergency breathing equipment for all local volunteer firefighters.

Fire Chief Bruce Tupper was thanked by selectmen for applying for the grant program that saves local taxpayers roughly $61,700.

And, a fire alarm ordinance, after months of reviews, was approved by selectmen with a request that it be reviewed again by the town attorney before voters in May are asked for final approval.

The purpose of the fire alarm ordinance comes from an influx of alarm responses that have been installed townwide. The town hopes to get cost recovery and prevent poorly maintained alarm systems from creating repeat false responses by the department.

The ordinance would apply to all hard-wired and monitored fire sprinkler alarms and alarmed buildings that are required by law. This ordinance does not apply to residential single-family home alarm systems, however.

Finally, selectmen voted to no longer have the chairman of the Board of Selectmen be authorized to use the town’s credit card.

Town Manager Rosemary Kulow told selectmen former Selectman Donald Libby was still authorized to use the card, though it was never executed. Selectmen refused by a 2-1 vote to authorize the card be issued to board Chairman Steve Libby.

In other business, until the town comes up with an ordinance that authorizes selectmen to sign warrants after bills have been paid, a practice that has been followed, the board agreed to continue that same system of paying bills every two weeks.

Meanwhile an ordinance will be drafted that will require voter approval to allow bills to be paid before warrants are signed. Otherwise, selectmen will be required to sign warrants weekly.

Selectmen say the practice of paying upfront saves the town money by avoiding penalty fees by not paying on time.