The Wellesley police and fire chiefs shared quarterly updates during the June 16 Select Board meeting, covering everything from hiring and training to the recent double homicide (see Wellesley Media recording about 38 minutes in for full briefing).
Police Department updates
Police Chief Scott Whittemore said his department has had a busy winter and spring, including its presence at the Boston Marathon as well as security support for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s latest visit to Wellesley College.
Whittemore got emotional as he described the investigation into the murders of two children in April and the support that his team received from the community. He said an indictment from Norfolk Superior Court is expected soon.
Some officers were on the job around the clock and beyond early in the investigation, Beyond the investigation, Whittemore described his department’s role in supporting the community, and vice-versa. “The community was there for us… that was very evident through the numerous sandwiches and food and dinners that arrived, and people just stopping us on the street,” he said. Police personnel attended a variety of school and other debriefings, some with comfort dogs in tow.
The police also investigated that same month a fatal car accident stemming from a medical incident, Whittemore said.
The department has been building its skills through active shooter and emergency training as well as inside drone training, using the former Upham Elementary School building.
The department also coordinated and sponsored a training for police and town government employees on interacting with federal law enforcement. “It was a very good instructional course on what to do, what to say, and how to interact, basically,” Whittemore said.
The Wellesley Police Department has three openings with the retirement of a sergeant. It will look to hire internally to fill that role, and meanwhile had 130 applicants take its entrance exam recently—the number of applicants is way up from the last time around, thanks in large part to strategic recruiting at college fairs and community colleges.
One hiring effort that has proven challenging is finding a public safety IT director, and the police, fire, and human resources teams are joining forces on this, Whittemore said.
Fire Department updates
Fire Chief Steve Mortarelli, who has been in the town’s spotlight of late regarding the Fire Department Master Plan, said the ranks of his department have been bolstered recently with four appointments. Meanwhile, no planned retirements have arisen. Mortarelli spoke of valuing the department’s seasoned members on a team that overall has undergone a youth movement over the past couple of years.
One other addition to the department has been a new and long-awaited engine.
As with the police, the fire department has been visible with community activities from Wellesley Wonderful Weekend to involvement with the town’s youths and older adults.
Mortarelli picked up on a question asked during Annual Town Meeting about how training is evolving at the fire department, and said that “over the past 24 months, we’ve really turned our training division on its head in a good way.” With the loss of many senior firefighters in past years, and their expertise, the department has arranged to tap external resources and experts to help train members on the basics and the latest, including recently for driver training on utility terrain vehicles and auto extrication.
The department has also upped its proactive wellness education for firefighters who face many workplace risks beyond those when battling blazes. Mortarelli said the department later this year will start a program of ultrasounds and scans that might help catch medical issues earlier. The department also scored a grant for a Plymovent system to extract fumes from the mechanic bay at the headquarters station.
Responding to a question from board member Beth Sullivan Woods about a lawsuit regarding skyrocketing fire equipment costs, Mortarelli said he’s still in the early stages of learning about this but thinks the department could be eligible to take part in a class action suit.
Finally, Mortarelli said he looks forward to engaging with the community regarding the Fire Department Master Plan, including at the June 25 community forum.
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