MEXICO — Selectmen on Tuesday unanimously agreed to contract with Byron for the Mexico Fire Department to provide fire coverage for the smaller town.

Byron disbanded its fire department earlier in the month due to an increasing amount of regulations and a decreasing number of volunteers.

Now, the nuts and bolts of the agreement will be incorporated into a proposed contract that residents of both towns must approve at special town meetings.

Town Manager John Madigan said the new arrangement could be in place as soon as early February.

The primary component of the agreement calls for Byron to turn over its 2005 fire engine in return for up to 20 years of emergency coverage by the Mexico Fire Department. Madigan said Byron’s engine likely has 20 years of service remaining.

“It is a sad day for us, but we need to do the best we can for the town,” said Byron Selectman Anne Simmons-Edmunds.

Mexico Fire Chief Gary Wentzell believes the agreement is a good thing for both towns.

“It’s a way to get out of a crunch for Mexico and a way for them to get out of a crunch,” he said.

He said the town of Mexico must replace two fire engines within the next five to seven years. Receiving the Byron engine means Mexico does not have to buy one of those necessary trucks. And for Byron, the myriad regulations that must be followed will be eliminated, therefore preventing the town from paying fines for any violations while receiving fire protection.

Byron received the truck through a Homeland Security grant in 2005. Simmons-Edmunds said the engine has fewer than 4,500 miles on it and it fully stocked and loaded.

“It’s in mint condition,” she said.

Mexico selectmen approved a proposed 10-year contract, with a 10-year renewal, pending the number of calls the MFD answers in Byron.

From 2000 to 2005, Wentzell said Byron averaged five or six calls annually. That number doubled during the next few years because Byron became a hub for all-terrain vehicle and snowmobile riders.

If the current 12 or so calls annually substantially increases, then the two towns could negotiate for the second 10 years of the proposed contract, which could include Byron paying additional call force wages, if necessary.

Wentzell said he wants a squad formed in Byron that could participate in such emergencies as traffic control and brush fires. He also wants Byron’s name included in the squad.

When residents of Mexico vote on the proposed contract, Wentzell wants them to also vote on a change in the Mexico Fire Department’s bylaws that would allow Byron residents to become part of the volunteer call force.

The two boards will meet again once the contract is drawn up and reviewed by legal counsel. Then the special town meetings will be held in late January or early February.

This is the first time Mexico will have contracted its fire services to another town.

In the meantime, the Mexico Fire Department is the first responder for emergencies in Byron.

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