Westwood Fire Department cites problems with increased

calls at University Station

Friday
Posted Aug 26, 2016 at 10:15 AM
Updated Aug 26, 2016 at 10:15 AM

By Sabrina Polinwestwood@wickedlocal.com

The Board of Selectmen held a public meeting on Monday evening where the fire department
discussed the impact that the University Station development has had on its ability to respond to
calls.

According to Fire Chief William Scoble, there has been a significant increase in calls to the station
that the department has difficulty keeping up with. With an increase in demand for fire or
emergency medical relief, the department has hired and trained eight new personnel, but still sees
the call volume as an issue. The shopping center began opening stores early last year.

"Call volume is increasing each year, obviously. But multiple calls is something that is starting to
get to us," said Scoble at the meeting on Monday, Aug. 22. "University Station is changing our call
volume."

In 2015, there were 466 instances where the department had more than one incoming call at once,
according to Scoble. In 2012 there were only 45 instances of call overlap.

"At one point, we had seven calls at once," said Scoble. "That's not the usual, but the two, three,
four calls at the same time have increased."

So far to date, Scoble has recorded 205 instances of call overlap in 2016.
Fire is not the only department dealing with the impacts of University Station; the police have seen
an increase in calls related to shoplifting, identity fraud, lost keys, report requests, and more, in
relation to the shopping center.

In a previous interview, Police Chief Jeff Silva disclosed there were 25,000 calls in 2015, just
months after University Station's opening, compared to 17,000 single incident calls in 2014. He also
added that approximately 500 arrests were made in 2015, while not even 400 were made the year
before.

The increase in calls for the police department also prompted them to take on a second detective
for the town, as well as two additional officers.

Westwood Fire Department cites problems with increased

calls at University Station
Friday
Posted Aug 26, 2016 at 10:15 AM
Updated Aug 26, 2016 at 10:15 AM

By Sabrina Polinwestwood@wickedlocal.com

The Board of Selectmen held a public meeting on Monday evening where the fire department
discussed the impact that the University Station development has had on its ability to respond to
calls.

According to Fire Chief William Scoble, there has been a significant increase in calls to the station
that the department has difficulty keeping up with. With an increase in demand for fire or
emergency medical relief, the department has hired and trained eight new personnel, but still sees
the call volume as an issue. The shopping center began opening stores early last year.

"Call volume is increasing each year, obviously. But multiple calls is something that is starting to
get to us," said Scoble at the meeting on Monday, Aug. 22. "University Station is changing our call
volume."

In 2015, there were 466 instances where the department had more than one incoming call at once,
according to Scoble. In 2012 there were only 45 instances of call overlap.
 "At one point, we had seven calls at once," said Scoble. "That's not the usual, but the two, three,
four calls at the same time have increased."

So far to date, Scoble has recorded 205 instances of call overlap in 2016.

Fire is not the only department dealing with the impacts of University Station; the police have seen
an increase in calls related to shoplifting, identity fraud, lost keys, report requests, and more, in
relation to the shopping center.

In a previous interview, Police Chief Jeff Silva disclosed there were 25,000 calls in 2015, just
months after University Station's opening, compared to 17,000 single incident calls in 2014. He also
added that approximately 500 arrests were made in 2015, while not even 400 were made the year
before.

The increase in calls for the police department also prompted them to take on a second detective
for the town, as well as two additional officers.

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