XI. OTHER TOWN SERVICES
COMMUNITY PROTECTION AGENCIES
Departments in Dover concerned with the protection of people and property are a direct responsibility of the Selectmen, who appoint all members of the Police Department, the Board of Fire Engineers, and the administrator of the Civil Defense Program.
The focus for these departments, the Protective Agencies Building in the center of town, is in operation 24 hours a day. Communications equipment links all departments through a radio system with loudspeakers and intercoms to the fire house and to receivers in the cars or houses of patrolmen and call firemen. The Protective Agencies Building was constructed in 1975 with a major expansion in 1999.
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
EMERGENCY 911 POLICE 911 FIRE REPORT 911 INFORMATION 785-1130 CIVIL DEFENSE 785-0019
POLICE
Directed by the Chief of Police, the Dover Police Department consists of a staff of full-time professionally trained police officers and a number of special-duty auxiliary officers. In case of emergency, a police cruiser is immediately dispatched to give aid, to evaluate the situation, and to report via radio to the Center for further help, equipment, or trained men and women, as needed. A resuscitator squad from the Fire Department is also available.
FIRE
The Dover Fire Department is a volunteer call department. Calls are received by control center personnel, who take the information and dispatch the ambulance or the fire apparatus by means of a radio alerting system. The ambulance is staffed by volunteer certified emergency medical technicians (EMT's), who will stabilize the patient and transport the patient to one of the hospitals in nearby towns. Citizens who are interested in becoming Fire Fighters or EMT's should contact the Fire Chief for more information. Smoke detectors are mandatory in new houses and in houses that are being sold. The Fire Department strongly urges their installation in all houses.
Outdoor burning is allowed only during certain months of the year, usually January 15th to May 1st, and permits are mandatory. Call 785-1130 for a burning permit.
ANIMAL CONTROL
The on-call Animal Control Officer works under the direction of the Chief of Police. In Dover, dogs must be kept under the owner's control at all times.
CIVIL DEFENSE
Since 1950, every town and city in Massachusetts is required by state law to set up a Civil Defense Agency, which should be prepared to act in case of war emergency or civil disaster. The Director is responsible for the organization and administration of the Civil Defense Agency. Working under the Selectmen and the Civil Defense Agency of the state, he/she has the task of working out an effective organization that will make possible the close cooperation and coordination of all the various departments of the Town. If a state of emergency should be declared, either by the state or local authorities, the Director is empowered to take charge of every resource of the community under the direction of the Selectmen.
COUNCIL ON AGING
The Dover Council on Aging was established in 1976 and is directed by an eleven-person Board appointed by the Selectmen. At present, there are approximately 900 Dover residents age 60 and over for whom the Council's services are available. Many Council on Aging activities occur in the Town House, including luncheons, craft activities, health lectures, group discussions and exercise classes. To date, there are no town supported elderly housing units in Dover. However, some affordable housing units are located in the County Court complex on Route 109 in Dover.
CEMETERY COMMISSION
The three members of the Cemetery Commission are elected. Only Dover residents who have lived in town for at least five years may purchase burial plots in Highland Cemetery.
HIGHWAYS
The Highway Department, whose primary job is road maintenance and snow removal, is often called upon by the other departments to clear roads so that fire and police equipment can get through in bad weather. The Finance Committee on Roads supervises the budget for general maintenance of roads as well as tarvia and patching, snow and ice, fencing, operation of the garage, and new road construction work. A new Town Garage was constructed in 1998 on Springdale Avenue in the town center.
DOVER TOWN LIBRARY
In 1799, the Massachusetts Legislature legalized the establishment of proprietors' libraries. Although the date of organization of the Dover Library is not on record, in 1817, Mr. Sanger, the local minister, took the Proprietors' Library into the parsonage. At that time the collection contained more than 200 volumes. At the close of Mr. Sanger's active ministry in 1858, it contained more than 700 volumes. Mr. Sanger suggested that the town establish a free public library. However, it was not until 1894 that the Town Meeting voted for such a library to be housed in a room in the Town House and appropriated $440 for books and furnishings. Three trustees were appointed, and on
December 22, 1899, the Dover Town Library was opened to the public with a collection of 498 volumes.
Several moves were necessitated by the Library's subsequent growth. In 1922, its 7,556 volumes were moved into an entire wing of the Town House. By 1960, its continued growth dictated the appointment of a Building Committee, which authorized, planned, and oversaw the construction of the present Library building which opened on December 1, 1968. A major renovation of the Library (including the expansion of the Children's Room) was completed in 1996.
Use of the Library and growth of the collection have continued apace, and the Library now houses over 40,000 volumes, periodicals and audio-visual materials. Programs are regularly scheduled for children of different age groups, and the Library is available for community organizations' meetings and cultural and historical exhibits.
The Library Board of Trustees now numbers six, who are elected for a three-year term on a staggered basis. The Library budget is appropriated each year at Town Meeting. In addition, several trust funds have been established over the years for the purchase of books, and generous gifts of books from individuals and groups have augmented the collection. The Dover Library is a member of the Minuteman Regional Library System, of which the Boston Public Library is the regional head and the Wellesley Public Library is the sub-regional source. The Dover Library may borrow or lend to any of the 39 libraries in the sub-region. Residents may also use their library cards at other local libraries. In 1976 an important support group, the Friends of the Library, was formed. Its Constitution states that its purpose is "to devote itself exclusively to charitable, educational and cultural purposes for the benefit of the Dover Town Library and the community at large." Members plan regular programs on a variety of topics of interest to the community and raise funds to meet specific Library needs. Membership is open to all on an annual dues basis.
TRANSFER STATION
The Dover Sanitary Landfill Operation and Transfer Station is located on Powisset Street on land purchased from the Trustees of the Robert Sever Hale Reservation. The landfill operation area is currently a transfer station.
At the present time, the Town has no trash collection. Trash refers to all items that are not food scraps. Private contractors will supply this service for a set fee. Alternatively, Dover residents may take their trash to the Transfer Station, which is open every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. As some people's trash is other people's treasure, the town has also created Mary's Swap Shop at the Transfer Station where items may be deposited for re-use by others.
Stickers for residents are available at the Highway Department. Recycling containers are available for paper, glass, and metal. Paper should be bundled and tied; glass should be separated by color, and metal rings and caps should be removed from bottles, cans must be washed and the paper labels removed. You may wish to contact the Recycling Committee for further information.
Garbage (food scraps) collection is provided weekly to all residents of the town and is supervised by the Board of Health. Residents should place their food scraps in covered containers outdoors that are readily available to the collector.
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