MANCHESTER, N.H. – An effort to phase out the Manchester Fire Department’s Safe Station program has been stopped for the time being.
In a 4-1 vote, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Committee on Public Safety recommended receiving and filing a proposal to end the Safe Station program on June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.
The proposal came from Ward 7 Alderman Ross Terrio, who sought to emulate Nashua’s decision earlier this year to transfer its Safe Station program to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.
Terrio believed that doing so would create greater efficiencies.
Manchester Fire Department Chief Dan Goonan said that Manchester’s situation was different than Nashua’s, as Catholic Medical Center has not expressed interest in offering the 24/7 service currently offered in Manchester, with no word yet from Elliot Hospital or other non-profit addiction organizations.
Goonan added that the Manchester Fire Department’s community resource unit has been able to help people suffering from opioid addiction that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to receive help.
Terrio, who also serves as a pharmacist at Catholic Medical Center, says he has seen people suffering from opioid addiction come to the hospital multiple times, implying that current approaches to treatment were not getting those with opioid addiction on the path to recovery.
Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long responded that providing an outlet for those who need assistance is success in itself.
Goonan also added that the program has provided assistance in other countless ways.
“I’d hate to see this program going away because of what I see as conjecture and unsubstantiated opinions.”
Terrio was the only member of the committee to vote against the motion, although Ward 10 Alderman and Committee Chairman Bill Barry asked Goonan to assist Terrio’s request for additional information on the Safestation program.