This is the fourth in a seven-part series on the effects of development in Cumberland. Cumberland Fire Chief Robert Garon, left, and Cumberland Hill Fire Capt. Richard Susi inspect a building under construction at Cumberland Crossings, which lies between the two fire districts.
More houses means more work for police, firefighters and other town services.
When construction crews began work at Miller's Brook, a subdivision of 60 houses near Hines Road, the local fire department was there. Cumberland Fire District Chief Robert Garon and a group of firefighters checked the plans for each house to see where smoke detectors were going to be installed. This time, they checked each house to make sure the detectors had been installed in the right places. And once construction was complete, the firefighters were back again to sign certificates that allowed people to move into the new houses. The firefighters' visits, required by the state, illustrate how development in this fast-growing town has changed the way firefighters in Cumberland do their jobs.