Fingers crossed: The best Christmas ever
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — If all goes well, the EMS crews could be settling into their new home for Christmas.
Nutt Construction poured the pads for the two manufactured buildings Nov. 12 and 13, according to Town Administrator Elaine Sistare. The concrete must cure for 30 days before buildings are installed, and so she anticipates that Home Nation will deliver and immediately install the two buildings around Dec. 15.
The construction company said it made more sense to take delivery when the pads are cured and units can be delivered and installed immediately rather than the units being delivered and then the company returning to place them on the pads. 
The two buildings would be craned into place and then joined together. 
The 1,200 square foot combined building would contain three bedrooms, a kitchen area and a shower area. It would measure 27 feet wide and 44 feet long. Sistare said one of the bedrooms would be turned into an office. There would be nice clean modern space for sleeping, showers, cooking, a conference space and bathrooms. 
While the curing is going work continues at the new home’s site between the current building and the Putnam Fire Department on Church Street. The natural gas line for the new buildings will be adjusted. A generator that used propane was removed and a new one will be installed and it will use natural gas. In addition, she said, electric mini splits were installed in the current building providing heat.
Most of the furniture for the new EMS building was ordered a while ago and she believes the majority of that furniture will arrive in time. 
The emergency vehicles would stay in the current building. That building was built in 1960 and saw a modest upgrade in 2000. But it does not meet regulation. The crews do not have a good place to “decontaminate” after returning from a call. The shower in the current building is being used for storage, Sistare said. 
The ad hoc committee OK’d using $88,000 in ARPA funds for furniture, fixtures and a new generator. Also available is $260,000 in Local Capital Improvement Program funding.

caption, page  6:

Curing
The pad for the new EMS building is curing. The pad for the new generator is far back, off the back corner of the large pad. Linda Lemmon photo

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