MysEEe E?Ere Sewing. Quinn SW 295 Cow Hill Road Mystic, CT 06355 . Telephone (860) 536-2220 Fax (860) 536-7811 President Carl Strand Jr. presiden?omfderg V. P. Michael Pacheco Clerk Karen Hall cleeromfdm?g Treasurer Judy Fales treasurer?omfdorg March 17, 2020 Timothy O?Brien, Chair Board of Finance Town of Stonington 152 Elm Street Stonington, CT 06378 Chairman O?Brien: I hope this letter ?nds you, your fellow board members and your families well. I am writing regarding the North Stonington Road bridge. First, I understand that you and the board have many projects and limited funding, and I thank you for supporting the ?mding of this project from the beginning. From day one I have expressed my public safety concerns and Stonington always listened. I am asking that you restore the $318,000.00 back in the 2020?2021 budget to address this serious public safety issue. The Old Mystic Fire Department responded to 1256 calls for service last year. The apparatus from our 21 North Stonington Road station in Stonington was dispatched 409 times to the Groton side of the ?re district. With the bridge closed we must make a right-hand turn at the narrow intersection of Main Street and Route 27. This presents a major driving hazard for our personnel and equipment as well as the public. In 2010, after the bridge was closed, in order to cover our assets and protect the district legally, we installed a dash cam in the apparatus to record any problems faced while using this intersection. The footage was evidence enough that traversing this intersection in our ?re apparatus is a safety hazard. There have been occasions when the driver has had to turn around because the apparatus would not ?t through Main street by the post of?ce due to delivery trucks and/or cars and other vehicles that were parked on both sides of the street. This delayed our response by over 4 minutes. Another public safety concern is ?re protection. While the bridge is closed, the nearest ?re hydrant to the affected Groton side of the bridge is 360 feet away, and this is not an option. The next ?re hydrant is located at Main Street and Route 27. At a ?re call, if we were to lay a ?ve-inch supply North Stonington Bridge Restoration 2020.docx March 17, 2020 Page 1 of 2 Mystic Fire District line to the Groton side, the distance increases to 1020 feet and will require the closures of Main Street, Route 27 and Shewville Road. This severely hampers our emergency vehicles? ability to access the scene on North Stonington Road in such a circumastance. With over 100 local residents signing a petition to have the bridge reopened, this project has strong public support. While I recognize that the Town of Stonington has supported this project and funded this bridge for the last ten years, the 01d Mystic Fire District is highly concerned with the potential safety risks and is ready for action. As your Fire Chief with 26-years of executive leadership experience. I am once again notifying the Towns of Stonington and Groton of this public safety matter and request your swift action to fund the replacement of this bridge in the 2020?2021 budget cycle. As always thank you for your service to the community. Please ?nd enclosed two letters on this issue from the Fire District?s legal counsel to the Town of Groton. Sincerely, Kenneth W. Richards, Jr., Fire Chief/Fire Marshal Old Mystic Fire District Co: John Burt, Town Manager, Town of Groton Danielle Chesebrough, First Selectman, Town of Stonington Carl Strand, President, Old Mystic Fire District Thomas J. Londregan, Legal Counsel, Town of Stonington ?le name: North Stonington Bridge Restoration 2020.docx rev date: March 17, 2020 Page 2 of 2