Busy As Ever

If only your personal investment portfolio went up like this

Last year call volume handled by the Amherst Fire Department went up 3.64% ... which may not sound like a lot, but when you are already running beyond capacity it becomes a bigger burden.  Like adding a few teaspoons of water to a glass already filled to the brim.  

A patchwork measure of adding extra staffing on weekends paid for by UMass/Amherst -- AFD's number one client (after the town itself) certainly helped, but even then a mutual aid ambulance had to be called 49 times --almost once per week.

Meaning if you or your loved one had an emergency requiring quick transport to a hospital, you would have to wait until an ambulance from a surrounding community managed to find you.

And yes the new contract just signed by the town and Union 1764 allows for a minimum staffing of 8 on duty personnel when the schools are in session; but a ten year old town study recommended 9 minimum on duty by Fiscal Year 2005.  And just look at the lead graph above to see how call volumes have increased since then.

Total calls (medical and fire): 5,690, or an average of 16 per day

Sure "substance abuse" (drunk) runs to our Colleges and UMass get a lot of press -- as well they should, since it is 100% preventable -- but they only make up 10% of total medical emergencies.  The top two are still classic emergencies that you expect trained professionals to handle, "general medical" (for an aging population) and "trauma."

The town has been negligent with public safety departments for a generation now. 

Central Station is long past due for replacement (that too from another town study done in 2006) and the current staffing problem is a disaster waiting to happen.  As in a major structure fire in one part of town while four ambulances are tied up over the far flung five towns the AFD serves. 

Help delayed is help denied.

Tu Parle Francais?

Well worn copies of Tintin at the Jones Library

So it turns out the only Jones Library copy of the most offensive entry in the "Tintin" series -- "Tintin In The Congo" -- is in french, so it is located in the foreign language section, and not with the other ones (pictured above) at the higher profile entryway to the Children's Room.

Of course when I asked to peruse "Tintin in the Congo, "  err, I mean "Tintin au Congo" it was, naturally, already taken out.  Not that I parle francais.

A really long-time Jones Library employee confirms the Tintin series has been available since she first arrived at the Jones back in 1972, and replacement copies have been ordered over the years (English versions of course) because they have worn out from avid readership.

Library Director Sharon Sharry also confirmed that the most recent written “request for reconsideration of library materials” filed by the concerned parents over Tintin was the first such formal request she has had in her 17-month tenure thus far at the Jones.

Back in 1996 a traveling photo exhibit "Love Makes A Family:  Living in Lesbian and Gay Families" sparked controversy in Amherst because some parents did not want their elementary school aged children exposed to it.

Although they were a tad vague as to what "it" was that children needed to be protected from.

The schools stood firm, the photo exhibit went on (probably to a much wider audience because of all the controversy) and our local civilization did not fall.  

Censorship is censorship. A doomsday device -- no matter which political persuasion employs it.

Higher Ed & Alcohol Info Graphic

 
AFD loading intoxicated student at the Umass Visitors Center early November

For my regular readers this is a kind of a "Well, duh" dog-bites-man story, but the charts graphically illustrate the sad, dangerous trend of alcohol abuse at our institutes of higher education -- the town's number one industry.

 Overall substance abuse calls:

Overall substance abuse calls make up 10% of AFD medical emergency responses

However, looking at the College and University of Massachusetts at Amherst our flagship of higher education and number one employer in town:

 Over one quarter of all emergency responses to UMass are for drugs/alcohol abuse

 

Amherst College kids are no better behaved when it comes to drugs/alcohol

Hampshire College comes in last for alcohol/drug abuse

Even worse, the numbers clearly indicate the problem is getting worse. 

Comparison of last two fall semesters (Tom Valle graph)

What say you UMass, Hampshire College and Amherst College?

Cascading Water Calls

 

New Life Science Lab: 1 of 4 Umass buildings with a water main break

   AFD Broken Water Pipe Responses

UMass Office of News & Media Relations reports

 

Baby It's Cold Outside

 AFD Engine 4 Mullins Center 1:45 PM

Amherst Fire Department was kept busy Saturday responding to alarms for broken water mains in numerous commercial buildings around town.

Fortunately the break at the Umass Mullins Center occurred earlier in the afternoon rather than just before the basketball game at 7:00 PM, since the sprinkler system also goes down. And that would certainly void the occupancy permit.

AFD Engine 1 & Engine 4 Fisher Home Hospice Center North Amherst 2:05 PM

The Fisher House Hospice Center was also a concern since the power had to be shut down briefly while AFD did their investigation with that water main break.

AFD Engine 1 at 25-35 University Drive 2:20 PM

Jessie's House family shelter alarm also for broken water main.  Plumber en route.  AFD command terminated.  #AmherstMA.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) January 4, 2014

AFD responding to UMass Life Science building for fire alarm and water activation alarm.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) January 4, 2014

Sunday:  The carnage continues ...

AFD Engine 1 responding to Ginger Garden Chinese restaurant Rt 9 #AmherstMA for "cracked sprinkler head".
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) January 5, 2014

Sign Of The Times

The colorful  First Congregational Church new sign is now in full bloom on their front lawn that rolls gently down to Main Street. 

The Church first attempted to erect the sign back in the spring of 2012, but then the town gently reminded them they needed approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals (in spite of the Dover Amendment which gives a church or college carte blanche) and then, ironically enough, the new Dickinson Local Historic District Commission.

The Church had initially opposed formation of the DLHDC, which was approved by a two-thirds vote of Amherst Town Meeting May 21, 2012.

April, 2012

Frosty Morning

"There's a certain slant of light, Winter Afternoon" 

Now you know why Miss Emily had an "aversion" to winter.