The fire captain position will become vacant when Fire Captain Charles Cabana retires.
LUDLOW – The Board of Selectmen has voted 4 to 0 to request a Civil Service promotional list to fill a fire captain’s position.
Fire Chief Mark Babineau told selectmen Tuesday that the position will become vacant as of Jan. 31 because Captain Charles Cabana has announced his intent to retire.
Selectmen also voted to request a Civil Service list to hire three new firefighters.
One of the new hires will replace the firefighter who is promoted to captain, Babineau said.
In addition, Babineau said two other positions have gone unfilled by selectmen for the past two years due to the poor economy and reduced state aid.
“We are funded for 30 firefighters,” Babineau said. He said that if three new firefighters are hired, the new hires will bring the force up to 30 firefighters.
Selectman Antonio Dos Santos said that since the positions have gone unfilled, there has been a large expenditure of Fire Department overtime funds.
Babineau said that filling the positions should bring the overtime expenditures way down.
The three new hires will have to go through the Massachusetts Fire Academy when openings become available, Babineau said.
He said the Massachusetts Fire Academy currently is taking over the Springfield Fire Academy which should make firefighter training more readily available to firefighters in Western Massachusetts.
Babineau recommended that any new firefighters which are hired be trained paramedics so they can operate the town ambulance.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting selected voted to send a letter to the Board of Public Works stating that they agree with the claim of town residents that Helena Street and Deroche Circle need to be repaved due to their poor condition.
Selectman Aaron Saunders said he would like to see the issue placed on the agenda of the next joint Board of Public Works and Board of Selectmen meeting.