EMS digs are here
Moving-in day soon
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The EMS service’s new home arrived Jan. 9 and they may be able to move in by the end of the month.
There are two manufactured buildings that, combined, offer 1,200 square feet. When the two buildings are attached, it will measure 27 feet wide and 44 feet long.
Town Administrator Elaine Sistare said it will be “a nice clean modern space for sleeping, showers, cooking, a conference space and bathrooms.” The emergency equipment and “decontamination” area would remain in the old building. After the move, the town may make some improvements to the old building, to serve the crew better.
The buildings came from Home Nation. The builder is HUD-certified contractor Nutt Construction.
Currently the two buildings are a few inches apart. The walls facing each other would be removed and a “roller” piece of equipment would snug them up. The contractor said a meter socket would be installed at one of the corners, be OK’d by the building inspector and then Eversource would be called “and we get on the list.” to hook the power up to the building. A line would have to be run from a pole on Church Street to the new pole that has already been installed and then the lines would run underground to hook up with the building. 
Sistare said “We have three full weeks until the end of the month. Hoping for Jan. 31. A lot will depend on Eversource. If there’s relatively mild weather — no storms, we have a good shot.” She added that Eversource has been pretty helpful to the town in the past.
In the meantime the furniture is on its way. Furnishings include: two twin beds for each of the two bedrooms. The third bedroom will be the director’s office and furniture there will include a chair, a desk to be constructed in place, a table, guest chair, filing cabinets. The kitchen/living area will have a small table with chairs, a couch, pub table “work stations,” and a buffet table against the wall for drop offs, pickups/organization. There are two bathrooms in the building. 
The ad hoc committee OK’d using $88,000 in ARPA funds for furniture, fixtures and a new generator.
The propane generator at the back corner of the old EMS building (closest to the new building) was removed. The natural gas service at the opposite end of the old building was expanded to a new generator in place of the old propane generator. The service in the new building is 100 percent electric. If the power goes out, the natural gas generator will kick on. The propane generator was on the unreliable side. 
Sistare said the door closest to the fire department building will have stairs. The door on the opposite side, next to the old EMS building, will have an ADA-compliant ramp. Currently the town has a couple possible metal ramp options under consideration.

captions, page 4:

Top: Both buildings, shown from the back. Above: The second building was backed into place. 

Left: The new electric pole. Right: The corner where the meter socket will go. More photos on FB on Wed. night. Linda Lemmon photos.
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