PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Based on public feedback, the Public Safety Building Committee is looking to offer residents three possible scenarios for a new facility.

These include just a police station, a combined police and emergency medical services complex, and a complete facility with police, EMS, and the Fire Department.

Chair Mark Siegars has doubts about the addition of the Fire Department into the proposals, as the town rejected a $6 million police and EMS proposal earlier this year and adding fire would significantly increase the cost, but residents have expressed an interest in it.

He pointed to other Berkshire County communities such as Williamstown, which is building a more than $22 million fire station.

"I'm not going to go on record pushing a $30 million or $40 million building. That is not the need that I was asked to address. That came out in the community survey," he said last week, adding that it is worth getting a cost estimate to inform residents.

The committee is in its third month of work after the former Police Station Committee was dissolved.  The new panel is charged with producing a proposal that resonates with residents and meets the town's needs.

Last month, the panel received over 250 responses to a community survey. Of those, 161 responses indicated interest in a complex with all three public safety departments, 139 in just a police station, and 124 in a police and ambulance facility.

Members also sent project designer Brian Humes a list of questions to review at this meeting.

One of the questions read: Is there a connection between the building design and the level of public service delivered to the community?

Humes reported that some community members question why they need a facility at all if public safety officials are in the streets to provide service, which he said is based on ignorance.

"As public service providers, Police and EMS professionals deserve a facility that can support their efforts in training, professional development, chain of custody, handling and transport of detainees,
confidentiality, record keeping, and storage and handling of equipment. Making a better professional [sic]
has a direct impact on their ability to provide the services that are asked of them by the community," he wrote.

"Seeking professional accreditation that can be recognized on a state or national level should be a goal of every department to share with their community. The building that they work in can directly assist
them, or deter them, in that effort."

Committee member Eric Harrington observed that it is clear Humes stands behind his building proposal and the earlier needs assessment.

It was also pointed out that the panel's job is to make a recommendation that will best serve the community and it should be presented to residents by the Select Board, as they are public officials.

"I think what we're going to end up coming out of this committee is a report with a recommendation," Siegars said.

"It's only going to be five or six pages long and it's going to have a basic discussion about what the facility is, the size of the facility, what services that we provide, what the annual costs to typical taxpayer will be."

EMS Director Jen Weber said it is important for the fire chief to be at the table when discussing a possible police, EMS, and fire proposal.

"The whole time, you have talked about three different departments but you only have two department heads sitting here," she said.

"You at no point have brought the fire chief into this conversation and that may change your conversation. I know as a department that if we're having this conversation about moving our facility without being involved in it, it wouldn't sit well."

It was also clarified that the wish is to have an informal inspection of the Fire Department to get a rough cost estimate and that additional outreach will be needed to inform residents.

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