At Lebanon Fire, Rescue, the silence is deafening

Five days after a man was seriously injured diving off the bridge abutment at the end of New Bridge Road near Everetts Cove Marina, Lebanon Fire and Rescue Chief Dan Meehan has failed to produce a press release regarding a safety issue that should be near the top of his priority list, not tossed in the circular file.

Only through the public's knowledge of information regarding safety issues such as these can safety concerns be addressed.

Chief Meehan should be at the forefront of an effort to make the public aware of the dangers of jumping or diving off the bridge, not shrinking away from any involvement.

Meanwhile, the town should take notice, too. The doctrine of attractive nuisance is tort law that says that a landowner may be held liable for injuries to children trespassing on land if the injury is caused by a hazardous object or condition on the land that is likely to attract children who are unable to appreciate the risk posed by the object or condition.

Whether the town or state own the abutment, we should be concerned that we have done all we can to make the area safer, perhaps with more signage, perhaps "Danger, do not dive, shallow water."

Meanwhile, The Lebanon Voice recently reached out to Chief Meehan asking for an update on his and Milton's progress toward a mutual aid pact for District 6, an area of West Lebanon that is vastly closer to Milton's ambulance than Lebanon's.

We have reached out by email, by phone. Again, only silence

Chief Meehan has resorted to insisting on only email communication with The Lebanon Voice, a method of communication that is OK in mundane topics, but not ones of substance, allowing him calculated rather than spontaneous responses.

Still he must be able to understand our email of July 28, which asked Meehan these simple questions:

Can you please tell me the status of ongoing talks with (Milton Fire and Rescue) Chief (Nick) Marique regarding mutual aid for District 6?

How long do you think the set-up process will take until it's in place through a formal written agreement?

In the meantime, have you and the Milton Chief agreed verbally to the premise that there is a place for mutual aid in District 6?

That said, if you got a call for a heart attack, respiratory distress or stroke in District 6, would you employ mutual aid?

Again, silence.

Chief Meehan, don't you think the people of District 6 deserve an answer.

On Saturday a concerned citizen near the scene of the diving injury called Milton Fire and Rescue after waiting several minutes and seeing no Lebanon ambulance.

This citizen said they had been reading The Lebanon Voice series on Mutual Aid and had read that Milton cannot respond unless they get an OK from Lebanon if a mutual aid agreement is not in place. Still, they said, they felt compelled to call for Milton's ambulance.

Why?

Because Lebanon lives matter, Chief Meehan. That's why.

By the way, here's some roads you might put in your mutual aid pact: Prospect Hill, Champion, T.M. Wentworth, Sam Wentworth, Dixon, Gully Oven, Center Road south to Shapleigh, Poplar Hill, School House Lane, Orrills Hill, south to the unimproved section.

Oh, and here's some conditions for which an immediate mutual aid response should be effected: respiratory distress, heart attack, stroke (all types, including aneurysms).

What more do you need to make a pact with Milton. Please tell us. We'll help.

Chief Meehan, you're the chief. So be the chief. Take action. Do good. You can go a long way toward making the people of Lebanon safer by immediately enacting a mutual aid pact with Milton for District 6 and publicizing the dangers of jumping off bridge abutments.

Why the wait? Why the silence?