Dalton Fire District Works to Improve Website

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:29AM / Monday, April 01, 2024Print Story | Email Story

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.

Tags: fire district, website,

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Peace Officer Standards Commission Strips Former Pittsfield Cop of Certification

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
02:52PM / Tuesday, August 25, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A former Pittsfield Police officer was one of five statewide who recently had their licenses revoked by the POST Commission.

Last week, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission voted to strip five former officers of their licenses to work in law enforcement, including former PPD officer William Straub.

The commission had determined that these workers were unfit to carry a badge and gun in Massachusetts; so far, 92 state police officers have been decertified by the commission.

Records indicate that Straub faced charges tied to a 2024 incident, but details are redacted. On Oct. 31, 2024, the POST Commission suspended Straub's law enforcement certification, and he resigned from PPD in April.

"According to Pittsfield District Court records, Straub pleaded guilty in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery tied to a 2024 incident," MassLive wrote on Monday.

"Three other charges, including drunk driving and carrying a firearm while intoxicated, were continued without a finding. While that resolution allows the charges to be dismissed after a period of time if Straub abides by certain conditions, the commission treats them as a criminal conviction."

According to records, he was certified as a police officer in July of 2021, and recertified in July 2024.

"The Respondent's appointing agency, the Pittsfield Police Department ("PPD"), submitted a final report to the Commission finding that the Respondent had engaged in criminal conduct and conduct unbecoming [of] an officer," the Aug. 20 final decision to decertify reads.

"The Respondent resigned from PPD on April 9, 2026, prior to the imposition of any discipline."

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