West Stockbridge — With longtime Fire Chief Steve Traver retiring, the West Stockbridge Select Board unanimously approved Stockbridge Fire Chief Vincent Garofoli to lead the department beginning January 1. The November 4 decision also serves as the initial action in a larger plan to unify the fire and emergency medical services (EMS) of the towns following months of public meetings between officials of Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, and Richmond.
“This is sort of the first small step in what we see as a longer contract in fire and EMS strategy for both of our towns,” Stockbridge Town Administrator Michael Canales said at the meeting.
The group began working in August, initially on a plan that would include the three towns, but the project recently aligned the interests of West Stockbridge and Stockbridge for a shared fire and EMS program encompassing around-the-clock services via eight full-time, paid employees backed by volunteers. It also adds a new fire station slated for West Stockbridge Road to maximize accessibility for both towns and improved response times…