Dalton Fire District Works to Improve Website

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The Fire District is working on updating its website to improve community communication. 
 
The district is working with local branding, website design, and digital marketing agency Gemini Creative to update the current website to make it Americans with Disabilities Act compliant and user friendly. 
 
"We are light years ahead from where we need to be," Fire Chief Christian Tobin said during the Board of Water Commissioners meeting on Tuesday. 
 
Gemini Creative is located in Stockbridge and, according to its website, is currently working with the Dalton Recreation Association, Berkshire Housing, and Dovecote Homes. 
 
The website needs to be updated so that the district can upload and improve accessibility to meeting minutes, agendas, handbooks, and other documents for residents and staff, Tobin said. 
 
"We need an interactive website that's exciting, that draws people into the fire district," 
 
The district not only needs a platform for residents but also a website that helps with recruiting and retention. That way it can go out to local colleges and high schools, he said. 
 
The initial cost of the website's design is approximately $4,800. This may change depending on what the district wants to include in the design. According to a document from the agency there is a $200 an hour fee for work outside the scope. 
 
The Fire and Water Departments will be splitting the cost to kick off the project and have enough funds to cover it in this year's budgets. 
 
According to the agency's document, The yearly retainer for hosting, backup, and maintenance is projected at $600 a year. 
 
Gemini Creative will host the district's new website on its server and will be responsible for the website being available online. 
 
If anything goes wrong with the website, district employees can reach out to the agency to solve the issue. New versions of WordPress and any plugins will be installed when they become available. 
 
The website and database will be backed up every evening. 
 
The agency plans to design the website in April, develop it in May, and hopefully launch it sometime in July. 

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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