By Joe Cox
Staff Writer

More details about the plan to integrate Goffstown's police and fire departments are expected Monday, Dec. 5.

"What we're going to hear about next week is just a little bit more about what we're going to do to take the process to the next step," said Gossett McRae, chairman of the board of selectmen. "I'm not suggesting that we're going to have a final plan by next week."

New information would be provided at the Dec. 5 selectmen's meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. at town hall.

Last month's developments regarding the public safety departments are still being digested by police and fire department union members.

The plan would eliminate Fire Chief Frank Carpentino's position and place Police Chief Michael French in charge of a combined police and fire department, including EMS services.

The plan would require new hires to cross-train as police officers and firefighters. Existing members of the department would not be required to crosstrain but would be encouraged by incentives to do so. No existing members would be threatened with jobs loss if they chose not to cross-train.

"Everybody was shocked by it," said Keith Chauvette, president of Goffstown Police Officers Local 371, the police union. "We've been talking to the firefighters union a lot, and we're on the same page."

Both unions voted to oppose the plan, and both memberships are waiting to learn more.

"We don't know what their plan is," Chauvette said.

Bill Connor, president of Professional Firefighters of Goffstown Local 3420, echoed Chauvette's frustration.

"It's hard to make an argument over a plan that does not exist," Connor said. "It's important to point out that this really isn't an issue of union vs. selectmen," he said. "This is all about public safety."

Connor said the union is concerned that the consolidation of police and fire services would diminish the ability to respond to the emergency needs of the public.

For McRae, it's all about making town government more efficient.

"We're very sensitive to the tax rate issue," he said. "We can look into the future and understand that the taxpayers cannot continue to see their tax bills go up the way they did this December."

Union officials question the cost savings under an integrated public safety agency.

Police officer certification requires 14 weeks of training and firefighter training runs for 12 weeks, for example.

Chauvette said such training time commitments would be possible for new hires, but not practical.

"It's not something that's going to be done anytime soon," he said. The cost of covering open shifts, including overtime, while waiting six months for a new hire to get on board could be costly, he said.

Connor looks at the calendar and wonders if changes would be realistic by the end of the year.

"The only thing they've managed to do at this point is eliminate the fire chief's position," Connor said.

McRae said the board was working hard with town staff to put the plan together.

"We're either going to have to start some aspects of it Jan. 1 or be poised to start them by Jan. 1," McRae said.

Connor remains skeptical. "In my opinion, this whole thing is just a big smoke screen and the board is moving away from what the voters asked them to do, which was to provide fire and EMS services around the clock."

McRae said the experimental EMS program begun on Sept. 19 has been successful in providing round-the-clock EMS in Goffstown. He said the board is waiting for a report before considering whether the 90-day program would be adopted as a permanent change.