ROGER AMSDEN
The Union Leader

GILMANTON - A call firefighter with the town fire department faces a speeding charge in connection with a July 7 incident in which he is alleged to have nearly hit a vehicle with a fire engine while responding to a fire.

Troop E State Police have issued a summons to Matthew Cole, 32, of Chichester for driving at an unreasonable speed for road conditions. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Laconia District Court on Sept. 23.

Police say two witnesses said that Cole momentarily lost control of the fire engine, which was headed south on Route 107 to a garage fire, leaving several hundred feet of weight transfer marks on the roadway and nearly hitting a car which had pulled off the highway.

Selectmen have not yet seen the state police report and declined comment.

Selectmen chairman Betty Ann Abbott said the board had not requested the investigation but would ask state police for a copy of the report.

It was the second incident in a little over a month involving a near miss by a fire department vehicle.

The fire department's driving practices had been investigated by the Belknap County Sheriff's Department at selectman's request after complaints by an unidentified motorcyclist who said he was nearly forced off the road on June 4 when the department's command vehicle passed a fire engine and ambulance in a no-passing zone while on its way to a reported structure fire.

The report says the command vehicle crossed solid yellow lines on a winding portion of Route 107 shortly after at 9:17 p.m. in order to pass a fire truck and an ambulance and get to the head of the line of first responders. But the report, which has been redacted by selectmen, does not say who was driving the command vehicle.

Fire Chief K.G. Lockwood was placed on administrative leave for one week last Monday after selectmen received a report on July 21 from the sheriff's department on the incident. He returned to work yesterday.

"These incidents suggest that there may be a need for a review of the current policies and training for the members of the Gilmanton Fire Department. It is fortunate that there were no serious accidents or injuries that resulted from these events. Regardless, there is no question that these incidents have placed the town at tremendous risk of significant civil liability," wrote Belknap County Sheriff Craig Wiggin in a letter to selectmen that accompanied the report.

Abbott said selectmen adopted a new policy last month after discussing the incidents with Lockwood.

The policy requires every member of the department to take an emergency vehicle safety course.

Abbott likened it to a refresher course for members of the department on safe driving in emergency situations.

She said that one session has already been held and Lockwood had reported to the board that the training had gone well.

"They learned things and have to rethink the way they do things, most importantly not to drive aggressively," Lockwood told selectmen at the July 26 meeting.

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August 10, 2010