PORTSMOUTH, NH -- The Fire Commission on Tuesday is expected to approve spending some of the department's inheritance from the late Geraldine Webber for about $99,000 worth of new safety equipment.
The Portsmouth police and fire departments each received $375,629 from Webber's estate and her last will and testament stipulated the money is "to be used for the purchase of safety equipment."
The most costly of three purchase requests going to the Fire Commission Tuesday is $61,119 for two Stryker power loads, with maintenance costs, for two ambulances. Fire Chief Todd Germain said the power loads are becoming industry standard and are used at the back of ambulances to load stretchers with patients. He said firefighters currently do the job manually which comes with risk of injury to the firefighters and patients. He said firefighters can lose footing in some weather conditions and some firefighters have to stand on their toes to get the job done because of height differentials. The fire chief said the power loads can also be transferred from one ambulance to another.
The Fire Commission on Tuesday will also vote on spending $22,571 for the purchase of 12 body suits designed to be worn under existing wetsuits for cold-water rescues. Germain said the suits haven't been upgraded for years, are certified to a certain water temperature and the under suits will make them heartier for colder-water rescues. Germain said the department also wants to purchase 12 state-of-the-art wetsuits with liners to store either at station 1 for assisting the Coast Guard and/or at the state pier for use on the new fire boat Marine 1.
Fire officials are also expected to approve spending $15,237 of the inheritance for a dozen air monitoring gas meters. Germain said they're used to detect flammable gas, carbon monoxide and other gases. He said the ones in use now are 4-years-old and have recently needed repairs and upgrades.
"This money is there for this type of thing," Germain said. "To me, these are important things."
Fire officials in April voted to approve the purchase of two self-contained breathing apparatus "retrofit kits" for about $1,200, also from the Webber inheritance. In 2017, the Fire Department authorized spending $16,000 of its inheritance to buy eight sets of ballistic-protective gear for firefighters who may be dispatched to an active shooter scene, or similar emergency. The Fire Department also spent $59,000 from Webber's inheritance to purchase a generator and lighting for a rescue truck to power electrical tools and illuminate scenes at fires, crashes and rescues.
The Police Department last year spent $25,229 of its inheritance for "public order equipment" for all of the Police Department's 64 full-time officers in sizes to fit each of them. Chief Robert Merner previously described the gear as resembling baseball catcher's equipment and said the sets include a chest protector, helmet, forearm and elbow pads, as well as shin guards. Merner said the gear will protect officers from thrown objects and other injuries if they're dispatched to manage an unruly crowd.
Police also used $14,064 of the inheritance for numbered uniform and hat badges for the officers. Merner said use of numbered badges is the national standard and is more efficient in identifying and dispatching officers, especially "during critical incidents when seconds count."
The inheritances to police and fire included half of a $550,000 payment made to settle a legal malpractice claim Webber's estate brought against attorney Gary Holmes. He wrote a last will and trust for Webber, that left the bulk of her $2 million-plus estate to now-fired Portsmouth police Sgt. Aaron Goodwin. After a two-week trial, Judge Gary Cassavechia overturned those estate plans, while finding Goodwin exerted undue influence over Webber as she changed her estate to his benefit. Her prior will stood as a result.
Goodwin is still grieving his firing through his union and a report from an arbitrator is sealed by order of a Superior Court judge. That ruling is being appealed by the Portsmouth Herald at the state Supreme Court.
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