WILTON — Sonny Dunham, chief of Wilton Fire and Rescue, reported to the Wilton Select Board at the meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 23, that approximately 265 emergency calls were received in 2023. Chairperson Tiffany Maiuri asked how that number contrasted to the previous year, which Dunham could not recall the exact number, but stated it was relatively close.
Dunham also added that since the new year, the department has received roughly 22 calls so far.
In his report to the Select Board, Dunham broke down the number of calls and the type of emergency response that was requested, and they are as follows:
• 29 structure fires and mutual aid [Out of Town].
• 12 structure fires [In Town].
• 40 motor vehicle accidents.
• 40 medical emergencies.
• 43 trees fallen on power lines.
• 10 propane/carbon monoxide.
• 29 flooding and broken pipes.
Dunham elaborated on the structure fires, stating they had provided assistance with Phillips and other towns in the county for help with their structure fires and other situations. He also added that 12 structure fires may seem like a lot, but stated the severity of the structure fires varied from fire to fire.
“It could be a chimney fire that got away from them,” Dunham stated, referring to that type of call as “minor”.
Dunham stated during the storm in December, in two days, the department received 38 calls. He elaborated most were to report washouts and fallen trees, and by his estimates, there were roughly eight to ten flooded basements.
Dunham also added that the number of carbon monoxide calls they received compared to last year had gone down, but the number of medical emergency calls they received had gone up. He went on to state the department is providing more assistance for North Star Ambulance, but they have to be more careful in how they respond to those calls as they are licensed to provide things such as CPR and lift assist, but they are not licensed for patient care.
“I gotta be darn careful myself because I do a lot of it,” Dunham told the board. “So I gotta change my way in doing that.”
Dunham told the Select Board the fire engines were in good shape, but one has a ladder that has a bent bracket in it. Dunham stated the trucks are inspected regularly with their previous state inspection happening in October of last year.
Dunham stated the bent bracket has not affected the performance of the truck, but is monitoring it and actively taking measures to address it. Dunham stated they had contacted the facility in New Hampshire where the fire engine was purchased, but they had received no response.
He followed by telling the Select Board he had reached out to Reliance Equipment, located in Vasselboro, to take a look at the bent bracket. For now, the engine will remain in operation and the defect will be watched closely by the fire department.
Dunham reported to the Select Board that staffing for the department was in good shape with 21 firefighters and four EMTs in the roster. He also said the department added a junior firefighter, who is only 16 years old and is eager to assist in anyway she can.
Dunham referred to her as a “hotshot”, adding that she is working directly with the department instead of a school program.
“She’s not on the school program, because the school program has got some problems,” he stated. “She thought she’d have more [practice] by training with us.”
Wilton Selectperson Mike Wells asked how the department’s new smoke trailer was performing. The Select Board had approved the department’s receiving a disaster supply trailer from Franklin County Emergency Management Agency in November of 2022. The trailer was refurbished into a smoke trailer for the Fire Safety Program.
Dunham stated the trailer was working well and has provided important fire safety tips for youth.
“That’s a big plus for us,” Dunham said. “We use it and use it a lot, and the kids get a lot out of it.”
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