OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Brocton Deputy Mayor Bryan Woleben, a member of the Brocton Fire Department, spoke to the importance of AED training to potentially help save a life.

BROCTON — The Board of Trustees took action at a recent meeting that could potentially save lives down the road.

The Village of Brocton has approved the purchase of four automated external defibrillator (AED) machines — one for the Village Hall and three for the Brocton Fire Department. The cost of the Village Hall’s machine is $914.50, while the three for the Fire Hall cost a total of $2,719.99.

Deputy Mayor Bryan Woleben advocated for increased enrollment in AED training programs. Woleben is a member of the Brocton Fire Department.

“Personally, I can’t understand why (anybody) wouldn’t want to do that. What if it’s your grandchild or your neighbor’s kid that you’ve known forever? I can’t stress enough,” Woleben said.

The Brocton Fire Department responded to 24 calls in the month of February, with nine mutual aid calls, 11 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls in the Village, and four contracted EMS calls. The Village Board also approved the application of Eric Remington to become a member of the Brocton Fire Department.

The Village is also planning to install handicap parking signs on Fay Street to alleviate the need to park handicap vehicles along Route 20. Parking on Fay Street allows for a safer alternative to enter and exit a vehicle with less traffic, likely traveling at a slower speed.

The Village Board also re-appointed Maleah Vazquez as Director of Summer Recreation at an hourly rate of $17. Vazquez served in the role for the past two summers. The Village will likely hire five additional workers this summer, with three of the five likely to be full-time seasonal employees.

With capital improvements underway at Brocton Central School, the program will also look to utilize Ryckman Park and possibly field trips when necessary. More information about the Summer Recreation program will be provided to eligible families at a later date.

The Village Board also approved a payment of $781 to replace six swings at Ryckman Park in need of repair. The swings set to be replaced were not part of the upgrades installed last summer after a storm damaged Ryckman Park.

The Brocton Village Board was presented with the preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year at its recent meeting. The preliminary figures showed a slight increase from last year, but Mayor Craig Miller noted that the overall budget is noticeably down from the 2013-14 budget more than a decade ago. Public comments regarding the proposed budget will be welcomed at the next regular meeting of the Village Board, set for 6 p.m. on April 16.