By Derrick Perkins
Union Leader
SALEM, N.H. — The fire department may be suffering the effects of trickle down economics, according to Chief Kevin Breen.
Hard times seem to have residents casting a more cynical eye on town employees, Breen said, and he has seen complaints from the public spike.
The chief wants his department to be proactive about getting ahead of complaints. He went before selectmen on Monday with a plan to use information to dowse the flames arriving in his e-mail inbox.
A frequent complaint, Breen told the board, is someone sees an emergency vehicle use lights and sirens to get through a busy intersection on Route 28 then the sirens and lights go off. The reality, he said, is that dispatch sends multiple units from around town to the same call and when one or more crews arrive other vehicles en route are often called off.
Others see firefighter vehicles gathered at the parking lot of local restaurant or business. They assume it's a social occasion. The reality, the chief explained, is that the building or a nearby location is being used for training.
To avoid misperceptions, he now has firefighters post a sign announcing the training session.
"If we start to notice the public perception isn't necessarily reality, then we need to come out and explain to people why we do certain things," Breen said. "If they have an issue or a concern, by all means, don't jump to a conclusion, call us.
"Ninety-five percent of the time there is a reasonable explanation, and if it isn't I'll address it," the chief said. "We believe in transparency."
The fire department doesn't just have an open door, it has a Web site. The frequently asked questions page will be updated more regularly.
"A lot of people don't understand what we do," Breen said. "It's not to whine or complain or look for sympathy. Believe me, this is not going away. ... This is the first step, by talking about it and answering some of these questions.
"I will always answer these questions, because people have a right to know what their tax dollars are being spent on."
The fire department isn't alone fielding complaints stemming from misperceptions, said Capt. Shawn Patten, Salem police's operations commander. Explaining the rationale behind policies whenever possible is the best remedy, he said.
"We'll handle it on a case-by-case basis," Patten said. "Obviously, we don't want to give everybody our patrol patterns and the techniques of our investigations ... but we still subscribe to the fire department's philosophy. Transparency is the key, and we answer any questions that come about to the best of our ability."
Selectman Arthur Barnes can recall hearing the same questions when he served as Salem's fire chief. The best way to address it is head on, he said.
"It's an issue that never really goes away," Barnes said. "The comment I would frequently get, sarcastically, is, 'What did we do... interrupt your card game?' "
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