MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- The head of the legislative committee that drafts the House version of the capital construction budget says he doesn't know or care if this year's version calls for a fire truck to be named for him.
``I don't really know. I took it as a joke'' when Senate members of a conference committee on the bill called for naming a fire truck approved last year for the state Fire Training Council after him, said Rep. Robert Wood, R-Brandon.
``We're going to call it the Woody,'' Sen. Vincent Illuzzi, R-Essex-Orleans and Wood's opposite number in the Senate, said of the Robert H. Wood Jr. Fire Truck.
Wood isn't holding his breath. But the chairman of the House Institutions Committee said he is pleased at a number of measures included in this year's capital bill aimed at improving training for firefighters - particularly volunteer firefighters - around Vermont.
The 100-plus page bill included $350,000 for seven new trailers to be loaded with firefighting equipment and taken around the state for training sessions.
One is to have equipment to teach the specialized skills needed to fight propane gas fires. A second will be equipped with hydraulic rescue equipment called the Jaws of Life. There will also be special equipment for responding to heart attacks.
``The purpose of this is to train firemen on the latest techniques and equipment,'' Wood said.
He said the mobile training units will reduce the need for firefighters to travel to Pittsford for classes offered by the Fire Training Council. Wood said most Vermont firefighters are volunteers who find taking the time to travel to Pittsford an extra burden.
``We're doing more and more training out in the community so we can save travel time for a lot of these people,'' Wood said.
Another portion of the capital bill related to firefighting may draw more debate, Illuzzi said.
He asked for establishment of a special committee to study whether fire departments should charge a fee when responding to a fire. Illuzzi said it would be a way for often cash-strapped fire departments to raise needed funds.
``Homeowners' insurance companies will pay for the fire department to respond to a fire. There's been some resistance because at some level they are supported by the community,'' Illuzzi said.
He said there are many institutions that both receive public support and charge user fees, pointing to the U.S. Postal Service and the University of Vermont as two examples.
In cases where the homeowner lacked insurance or the insurance policy didn't cover the firefighting fee, it most likely would be waived, Illuzzi said.
Illuzzi also noted the capital bill contains a provision offering aid to local fire departments looking to install dry hydrants. Those are pipes leading from bodies of water like lakes and rivers where a tanker truck can fill up in an emergency.
