MEXICO – Gary Wentzell believes a shared fire chief serving Mexico and Rumford will likely help both towns’ fire departments over the long run. He also said talks are starting that could draw the fire departments of neighboring Dixfield and Peru more closely into the mix.

Wentzell, Mexico’s longtime fire chief, began his duties as Rumford’s part-time fire chief on Monday.

At Wednesday’s selectmen’s meeting, he updated the board on what’s happening as head of both departments, and how things are going in the Mexico department, as well as what could could happen with Dixfield and Peru.

“By the end of August or the beginning of September, we hope to have the names of firefighters who can go inside for fires,” he said.

Firefighters must be certified to enter burning buildings. Some in each of the four departments are credentialed.

Pay scale disparity is a major difference, he said, adding that the departments of Dixfield and Peru are considering some kind of merger, although that isn’t solid.

In Rumford, where he was hired for six months to lead the department, he said he is working on compliance issues and scheduling monthly training sessions that alternate between the two towns. He said call force members for each department must be residents of their respective towns.

Heading both fire departments is not a step toward merging, he has said.

In other fire department matters, he said Mexico has received nearly $2,300 in insurance money for its part in responding to emergency incidents over the past few weeks.

He said he is also about ready to send out a dozen or so letters to property owners in Mexico who own vacant buildings that must be secured. He said the owners will have 30 days to secure their buildings. The department will then inspect them for security, and make recommendations for other safety measures.

“Maybe half of them have people in them at night,” he said, adding that the buildings generally don’t have electricity and people inside may use candles, which pose a fire hazard.

Vacant buildings are expected to be secured before winter.

In other matters:

• Selectman Richard Philbrick said Eagle Scout projects are under way at the recreation park and Hosmer Field in Rumford.

• Selectman George Byam requested a presentation by Patricia Duguay of the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition on how to better recycle materials. He said that although the town does a good job, higher percentages of recycling could save money.

• Police Chief Jim Theriault said he intends to submit a site plan to the state Department of Environmental Protection so officers in his department will have a shooting range at a former landfill on Poplar Hill.