Selectmen Approve Fire Ordinance, But Think Fees Are Too High

A fire prevention/alarm ordinance has gotten the green light, but town officials want to see some of the associated fees drastically reduced.

Selectmen approved the ordinance at their meeting on Monday, but held off on a decision on the fees. has Amherst adopt the state’s fire prevention code, which goes alongside the new set of fees for false alarms, building inspections and new constructions that require permits.

The board agreed that an ordinance needed to be put into place to cover personnel costs on these items, but opposed the amount charged in the fee schedule. They said that most of the fees are based on similar ordinances in cities like Keene and Nashua, but they need to be adjusted for a small town such as Amherst.

A decision on the ordinances fees has been tabled until a revised proposal is presented to the selectmen.

(See the full fee schedule and ordinance PDFs on the right)

Chair Bruce Bowler said the fees presented were “crazy” and “out of line” for the town. He said that the fees should be cut at least 50 percent before the board would consider approval.

“It is disgusting we have the numbers we have been given,” said Bowler. “Amherst is not a city.”

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The ordinance includes a fee for residents who have false alarms, but people will not be charged on the first offense within a 365-day period. The fees would be charged if there is another incident within that time.

It also requires all buildings with automatic alarm systems to install a steel lock box called a Knox Box, which would hold all keys needed for emergency responders to access a building. The boxes can cost anywhere from  $159 to over $1,000 depending on the model purchased.

Boynton said that this would save money by reducing possible destruction to property during an emergency call, and the quicker access to buildings would improve would improve safety.

Deputy Chief Matt Conley presented the ordinance to the board on Monday and said that the fees are not “revenue makers,” but a “cost recovery” for the man hours required for false alarms and inspections.

In a phone interview on Tuesday, Conley said that most fire departments have similar policies where the costs are transferred to those who use the services, and not the taxpayers.

Conley said that the fees were mostly based on those in Keene, NH, but also includes data from Nashua, Bedford and Merrimack. He said that the department will now focus on fees from surrounding towns that are similar in size to see if adjustments can be made in the next proposal.