Using the app, police and fire departments will be able to send photos of infrastructure damage directly to National Grid crews in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  This way, the company will be able to determine the best way to approach the issue before even arriving.

National Grid says they anticipate the app will help reduce overall storm restoration time because they will be able to see storm damage in real-time.

Ware Fire Department helped National Grid develop the app.

“The Ware Fire Dept. is excited to see the roll out of the National Grid First Responder App. We were pleased to help National Grid provide first responders such a great app that will help to swiftly transfer the needed information on what resources are needed on scene,” said Thomas Coulombe, Ware Fire Chief.

Without the app, police and fire departments report field incidents by calling in reports to National Grid. The company says the app will make the whole process much faster because the photos not only depict the damage, but also provide the geographical location.

"We have encountered some unsuitable soils," Elwell said at a meeting Tuesday. "This is a site with a lot of history. We couldn't be sure what we would find in the excavation but we were pretty sure we would find some things that wouldn't be proper to leave in there."

Pieces of concrete, metal, half a tank of oil and a drill-bit auger were found while land was being prepared for an addition on the station, according to town reports.

Some additional soil was brought to the station, Elwell said. The issue had been anticipated when budgeting for the project's guaranteed maximum price, so no further cost will come of it. The project schedule also factored in the possibility of dealing with soil issues.

Excavation was completed at Central Fire Station, said Steve Horton, project manager, noting there was no contamination at the site after environmental tests were conducted.

Concerns have been raised about a wall system and moisture control in the West Brattleboro Fire Station under construction. The topic came up at a meeting with the town's Police-Fire Facility Building Committee in May. Committee members and project leaders have kept the dialogue going. A change in the design will allow the walls to "breath more freely" now, Elwell said, making "a more permeable barrier on the inside."

The recommended product is going to let moisture leave the walls, according to Horton. The worry has to do with water coming into the walls from within the building and causing mold to grow.

"Everybody has a different opinion," Horton said.

Town Energy Committee member Tad Montgomery said he was disappointed with the project "barely exceeding code in the wall structure's insulating values."

"Where we are with this is cost versus performance," Horton said. "We were charged by the town to build a cost-effective building that would exceed code but at the same time meet all the other requirements involved."

Horton anticipates the station will be ready of occupancy by the end of February. Efficiency Vermont will be performing tests to ensure there are no "gaps in th