The Select Board on Tuesday night voted unanimously that the town’s fire and police chiefs either met or exceeded expectations during their respective annual performance reviews.

Hopkinton Fire Chief Gary Daugherty Jr. and Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett each received a score of 4 on a 5-point scale, with 5 being the highest possible mark. Members noted that each chief navigated a challenging time in his respective department’s history with shortages in command staffs. They also said a weakness in both departments was insufficient data gathering.

Human Resources Director Jessica Lewerenz explained that each chief submitted goals to accomplish over the past year. Each Select Board member gave her their comments independently about how they felt the goals were achieved. Lewerenz compiled them into a document that included her summary and a suggested score.

Also, each chief provided a self-assessment and was evaluated on performance standards outlined in their contracts.

Fire chief adapts quickly

This is the end of Daugherty’s first contract year as chief. The deputy chief position has been vacant since his promotion from that role.

“As typical with other newly promoted employees, the expectation is that they’re going to learn their role, learn their duties, embrace them and come up to speed,” said Lewerenz.

In Daugherty’s case, she added, the fire chief extended previous goals into his elevated role.

One of Daugherty’s goals was to evaluate and update the department’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) on an ongoing basis. This included reviewing active shooter response protocols and developing policies regarding electric and hybrid vehicle fires as well as lithium-ion rechargeable battery fires. In response to the underground transformers used in the Main Street Corridor Project, a methodology had to be devised for extinguishing underground vault fires.

“Rolling out SOPs for all the different areas in one year is impressive,” the report stated, “especially for someone who took over command of the department just over one year ago.”

Emerging technologies prompted some of these policy updates. One example is that electric vehicle fires have to be contained using blankets, not water.

Daugherty said there have been no EV fires yet, but these cars have been involved in several accidents. The entire department has been trained in handling EV emergencies.

Vice chair Mary Jo LaFreniere said she would like to see Daugherty present information about using blankets to contain EV fires in the local media to educate the public. Daugherty pointed out that the blankets can only contain the fires, not extinguish them.

Collecting data about types of incidents and involvement of staff in trainings were mentioned by members Shahidul Mannan and Joe Clark as important ways to assess department performance.

The report also praised Daugherty for developing comprehensive manuals for the operation of each apparatus the department uses. Daugherty said he had to build the driver’s manual “from the ground up,” growing it from one page to more than 50. There also is a new annual driving test through an obstacle course.

The report stated Daugherty’s colleagues perceived him as “steady and calm.” The only area for improvement stressed was that “he may need to insert himself into the community more.”

“His performance this year had broad positive impact on the town, warranting recognition at the highest level,” the report concluded.

Moving forward, the fire chief said his goals include working with Bennett to develop a full-scale active shooter training exercise and developing a wellness program for firefighters.

Police chief praised for outreach

Bennett exceeded expectations in the growth of HPD’s social media engagement. The department has a social media team that puts out alerts, monthly statistics and fun features like its “Where in Hopkinton?” posts.

This effort to “humanize the badge,” the report stated, was “commendable and a model for community policing.”

“The increase in social media is really evident, and it’s a lot more engaging this year,” said member Amy Ritterbusch.

One comment the report made was that the police chief should keep track of the number of events officers participate in each month, as well as the time spent on outreach activities. More publicity and more public events like the youth pizza party would help connect new recruits with residents.

LaFreniere said she would like to see more interaction between officers and the schools to increase student comfort levels.

Chair Brian Herr said there needed to be more data gathered on the number of social media posts and events attended so that growth over future years could be measured effectively.

Bennett said the department’s efforts over the past year would be “a good baseline” for next year, but he understood the need for metrics.

Recruitment was another success for Bennett, as the department is nearly at full strength. The report described this as a “record year” for HPD, given that five officers earned promotions while nine recruits were hired.

Training officers in multiple areas, sometimes above their current rank, also helped strengthen the department and demonstrated succession planning.

Clark pointed to this growth while noting that the national trend shows fewer people desiring to become police officers.

“It takes a village,” Bennett responded, saying the support of the Select Board and town staff make Hopkinton an attractive option for officers.

Mannan said one thing he would like to see is a program for officers to promote their mental health and prevent burnout.

Bennett’s future goals include building team strategies and continuing executive-level training for the command staff. He also wants to work more closely with the Fire Department.

Library issues raised

Nanci Hill, the director of the Hopkinton Public Library, explained that a recent executive order eliminated the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the only federal agency that provides funding for public libraries. This money funds training for library staff and other community services. She was unsure if this would lead to budget cuts.

Herr asked that this issue be placed on a future agenda for discussion.

Also, the Board of Library Trustees presented its proposed Town Meeting article. It called for special legislation to amend the Town Charter. If passed, it would change the appointing authority of the library director from the Town Manager to the Board of Library Trustees. The Board of Trustees also would oversee the director’s goal setting, since members work closely with Hill.

This proposed change reflects the organizational structure of the Board of Health and the Parks & Recreation Commission, said vice chair Warren Carter.