Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Natick Fire Dept. offering free CPR classes

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The scary situation during a recent Buffalo Bills football game when one of the players required CPR on the field inspired friends to take the free CPR class offered by the Natick Fire Department.

Regardless, of your inspiration, if you’re interested in taking the class and getting certified, you can select from 2 times in February:

  • Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 3:30pm
  • Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6:30pm

The classes last about 2.5 hours, though can vary depending on class size. All ages are welcome to take the class.

If this schedule doesn’t fit yours, or if you’re interested in arranging for a group to take a class, reach out to Firefighter & Paramedic Alan Gentile at agentile@natickma.org

The classes are available to Natick and non-Natick residents alike, though there is a $20 fee per non-resident to cover the cost of a certification card. All ages are welcome to take the class.

Each certification card has a recommended renewal date 2 years after it is issued. “This is because advances in the medical field happen frequently, so to stay current the [American Heart Association] believes after 2 years you should renew if for no other reason to remember some of the ins and outs since it’s not a skill you use often,” Gentile says. Natick’s classes are good for initial certification as well as renewal.

“We appreciate anyone who takes our courses. As recently seen on Monday Night Football immediate CPR can save a life. By the time any first responder gets to a scene where CPR is needed, we are already behind the 8 ball and the longer the person is down, the less of a chance they survive,” Gentile says.

Natick aiming to get fluoride back in drinking water by spring

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Natick stopped adding sodium fluoride to its public water supply last January due to a nationwide shortage, but is angling to reintroduce it as soon as spring. Fluoride plays an important role in strengthening teeth against decay, especially for kids.

Natick originally thought it would run out in October of 2021, but Wellesley’s Department of Public Works came to the rescue with enough supply that Natick could use for the rest of that year (Wellesley didn’t need as much at the time because 1 of its treatment plants was out of action). Natick acknowledged in its annual water quality report issued last year (for the reporting year 2021) that as of June 2022 it was still unable to fluoridate the drinking water due to the shortage.

The town is among a handful across the state that has stopped adding fluoride to its water due to the supply shortage.

The Department of Public Works shared updates this week at the Board of Health and Select Board meetings. In introducing the topic at the Select Board meeting, Town Administrator Jamie Errickson said “unfortunately supply chain issues are  still chronically challenged for fluoride.”

Interim DPW Director Bill Spratt told the Board of Health that the town’s ability to procure sodium fluoride has improved, and it now has about a 4-month supply. It would like to get up to a 6-month supply before fluoridating the water again. The reason it doesn’t just start now is because there are operational challenges and costs with starting and stopping, so the town wants to feel pretty certain it can continue to fluoridate the water once it restarts.

Some communities use hydrofluoric acid to fluorinate their drinking water, but Natick is not set up to do that.

The other kicker with fluoride, which Natick gets from China, is that the cost has skyrocketed from roughly $22K a year to $68K a year based on using 12 pallets of the material. Natick used to get fluoride from Japan, but Spratt said that source is no longer available.

Dr. Peter Delli Colli, a dentist who serves on the Board of Health, stressed the importance of fluoridating water and said he has made calls around the country to try to uncover possible supplies for the town. Using fluoride tablets or getting topical treatments are alternatives, but Delli Colli say both have their downsides in terms of safety and convenience. Water-based fluoridation is the safest and most effective method, he said.

Natick Select Board member Rich Sidney encouraged the town’s Water/Sewer Department to send out communications to customers when it restarts fluoridation, and that it might also want to reach out to area dentists about the current situation.

To that point, we reached out to several Natick dental offices, and 1 dentist told us their office first heard about the fluoride stoppage some 8 months after the fact from a patient. Fluoride drops or tablets are an option prescribed by some pediatric dentists, this dentist said.

Natick OKs bio safety regulation in face of lab influx

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Natick’s increasing attractiveness for bio labs has prompted the town’s Board of Health to craft and unanimously approve its first biological safety regulation, effective May 1.

Expect to see Chapter 30, approved on Tuesday night during a Board of Health meeting, to be added to the list of regulations on the town website (we’ve embedded a copy below). The Board has been revising its draft regulation based on discussion and public input, and discussed how it can update the regs as it learns from permitting of new labs.

Many communities in the area—including Wellesley—have been trying to learn from each other in developing regulations, so as not to start from scratch. Their rules are also complemented by federal and state regulations for labs.

Natick has had a vibrant lab industry since at least 2016 when ABI-LAB opened in the area behind Sherwood Plaza parallel to Rte. 9. But the proposed introduction of labs at Natick Mall in space formerly occupied by Neiman Marcus, adjacent to condos, and Lord & Taylor has raised concerns of residents who find the prospect of research labs in their neighborhood too close for comfort (they’ve lawyered up during the process). The issue has been the subject of more than a dozen Planning Board meetings over the past year, and the Board of Health has been fielding public comment at its recent meetings.

The town’s Economic Development Committee has been super enthusiastic about encouraging more research labs to open in Natick.

Natick’s regs will allow for only biosafety level 1 and 2 labs, (BSL-1 and BSL-2) the latter of which according to the Centers for Disease Control involves “microbes [that] pose moderate hazards to laboratorians and the environment.” So anthrax, no; E. coli or salmonella, maybe.

The Board will use its discretion regarding how close labs can be located to homes, and will rely on consultants’ opinions on a case by case basis. A citizen’s effort during Town Meeting to get approval for a motion to establish standard setbacks failed.

Director of Public Health Michael Boudreau, in describing the need for regulations by the town during the Jan. 10 Board meeting, said Natick is addressing the issue in a way in which “we don’t want to impede research and progress, but also we wanted to address the public health concerns that are out there. This is still somewhat of a new thing for Natick.”

If there is a lab incident that could affect public safety, be it through the air or water, Boudreau said the regulation gives the town the ability to order a lab do more testing or take other such actions.

Asked by a Board member about the Health Department staff’s ability to support the regulation, Boudreau said he could always use more staff. But the town would hire consultants that would be paid for by applicants, so that would enable the permitting and oversight process to work, he said.

More discussion with the Board will take place regarding permitting fees, Boudreau said.

With the regulation set to go into effect May 1, existing labs having 6 months from them to get permitted. In the meantime, the town will reach out to these businesses to discuss the new rules.

Download (DOCX, 37KB)

Want to see Board of Health meetings added to Natick Pegasus recordings? Let the Department of Health know: health@natickma.org

A message from Natick Board of Health on post-holiday health

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The Natick Board of Health recommends the following for residents, students, visitors, and employees as we return from post-holiday activities:

The Board Health strongly recommends the use of face coverings or masks indoors especially if you or someone in your household has a weakened immune system or increased risk for disease. Stay home if you are sick. If you test positive with a COVID-19 test, please isolate at home for 5 days and wear a mask for an additional 5 days whenever you are near other people.

COVID-19 test kits are plentiful and readily available at Town Hall and supplied to other municipal buildings, including the Morse Institute Library and Community Senior Center. As a reminder, cover your cough or sneeze, wash hands frequently and sanitize high touch surfaces with an EPA registered disinfectant.

Vaccinations and boosters remain the most effective prevention to serious disease. They are available at some retail pharmacies and some health care providers. To find a location visit: https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/