SpeakOut
Public safety needs more funding
Pixie Brennan ASHBURNHAM

I want to begin by stating that I believe the public has a great deal of respect for the teaching profession and for those who choose to make a career in the field of education.

However, I also believe that the public has the same level of respect and appreciation, for public safety personnel. They also go above and beyond their contracted obligations, but do so 24 hour per day seven days a week and 52 weeks a year. They also volunteer a significant amount of time, and effort, for the benefit of the public they chose to serve. They also spend a significant amount of money to prepare for their profession. They also purchase items associated with their job for which they are not financially compensated. They also work understaffed because the budget does not have the funds to provide additional manpower and/or equipment they need.

Just recently, Ashburnham's Police Department was grant authorization to hire an officer to provide coverage in the absence of Officer Ahearn who has been out due to injuries he sustained at the beginning of December. Until that occurred, other officers stepped in to fill shifts in a department already functioning short one officer, making it short two. As far back as 1998, the goal has been to have two police officers on duty, per shift, in order to provide adequate public safety coverage. The extensive, independent evaluation conducted on that department in 2004-2005 substantiated this. Yet, the funds still have not been available to do so.

Ashburnham's Fire Department continues to be comprised of a large percentage of volunteers and understaffed in some areas. Some specifications associated with the ALS License obtained in April 2004 were required to be implemented by April 2007 and remain unfulfilled to date. The possibility that the state could revoke that license does exist. Furthermore, Ashburnham's Fire Department operates on half the yearly budget that the Town of Westminster is able to appropriate for their fire department, which shares the school district with the town of Ashburnham.

Public safety personnel chose their profession due to a strong desire to serve their fellow man and their community. They demonstrate this fact every day they put on their uniform, report to duty and put their personal welfare in jeopardy. From the information at my disposal, public safety personnel have always worked within their budget constraints while maintaining the optimum level of service possible.

Teachers chose their profession to guide, and educate, children. Despite contract negotiations not going as they hoped, they have continued to do so. However, I think that by choosing not to attend the eighth grade functions, it has shed a negative light on their cause.

I have read all the information I have been able to regarding this issue and have taken the time to study Ashburnham's 2006 Annual Town Report. (2007 is not available yet.) The salaries of our educators and public safety personnel are listed in that report. We all believe in fair wages, but I also think that many people would b surprised at the number of teachers whose salaries exceed those of the full-time public safety personnel. Another factor to be considered in this equation is that public safety personnel provide service for a considerably longer portion of the year than our educators teach.

In addition to this, we elected individuals who volunteered to represent the towns to serve on the School Committee. They have been entrusted to consider all parties involved in this situation and they have all the information necessary to make decisions we do not have. Until I know all the details, the intelligent thing for me to do is to continue to support the School Committee, applaud their efforts, and appreciate their work on the behalf of us all.

I do not presume to have the resolution for this matter, but several things remain crystal clear to me. First, the top priority needs to be provide taxpayers with proper public safety coverage. Until the budget can accommodate those needs, we should not be expected to provide funds for anything else. Secondly, the taxpayers have "tightened their belts" as far as they can and few can dig "deeper in their pockets."