Public Health & Safety

Public safety primarily encompasses Police, Fire, and Ambulance (DPW also contributes to safety with plowing/salting). Public safety is in good shape, with generally adequate operating budgets and equipment. The Police Department has expressed a desire for an additional full-time officer, but staffing is not presently a problem. There are concerns regarding personnel for Fire and Ambulance, given the part-time/volunteer nature of these departments. Volunteerism for Ambulance and Fire is down, causing some impact on response times and call levels. This has prompted some early discussions on whether Enfield should explore combining Ambulance and Fire into an Enfield Fire Rescue department that could be strengthened through the cross-training of personnel to serve in both arenas.

As with other departments – with the exception of Public Works, which has ample, appropriate facilities – Police, Ambulance and Fire face notable facilities and space limitations. Significant proposed investments to upgrade the facilities will not make any of the space optimal. This is why an architecture and engineering firm has been commissioned to complete a facilities optimization study, which will explore the merits of various approaches to addressing the community’s needs. This will include an examination of the efficacy of major renovations to existing facilities as well as the construction of a new public safety complex or a municipal complex to provide the kinds of space that enable all departments to perform at the level needed to deliver desired levels of service. The findings and initial recommendations of the facilities optimization study will be shared publicly when it becomes available near year-end.