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Chief Evans cites staffing shortfall, equipment backlogs; councilors press for funding options including dive and drone teams
Summary
Fire Chief Todd Evans described an understaffed department (about 105 firefighters), high overtime, delayed vehicle deliveries, and equipment and training needs. Councilors discussed SAFER/Safer grant opportunities, potential dive and drone teams, end-of-life radio replacement and the failed debt-exclusion vote for a new headquarters.
Fire Chief Todd Evans told the Committee of the Whole that the Fire Department is operating at low staffing—roughly 104–105 personnel at the time of the meeting—and that a recruit class of 12 is scheduled to go to academies (four at Bridgewater, eight at Stow) with staggered academy completion and phased integration into line staffing later in the year. Evans said the low staffing level has driven higher overtime and stressed certain engine companies (Engine 1 and Engine 4) that show the highest run volumes.
Evans outlined a mix of capital and operational concerns: the national backlog and rising costs of fire apparatus (pumpers and ladder trucks) have extended lead times and raised prices; the department is awaiting two pumpers ordered in 2023 with multi‑year delivery risk. He described equipment and readiness work funded through grants: firefighting blankets and electric-vehicle response plugs from gaming commission money and turnout gear/helmets from Department of Fire Services grants. He said a dedicated grants team is being formed to increase outside funding capture.
On operational capabilities Evans and councilors discussed developing a dive rescue team and a drone search-and-rescue capability. Evans said a modest drone with thermal imaging and night vision suitable for search/rescue and fire-scene thermal assessment can be acquired for about $9,000–$10,000; he estimated initial costs for a fully equipped dive team (dry suits, tanks, communications, training) as a larger one‑time expense but emphasised that recurring training would be required. He also flagged end‑of‑life truck radios that lack interoperability with police digital frequencies; quotes for replacement were roughly $109,000.
Councilors raised SAFER (FEMA) grant opportunities and noted the department's eligibility depends in part on city staffing commitments. Councilor Scarpelli and others pressed on morale and station conditions after the community vote that rejected a debt-exclusion proposal for a new headquarters; Evans said station roofs, HVAC and headquarters infrastructure remain concerns and that the department continues to operate in aging facilities.
At the end of the meeting councilors adopted a nonbinding motion asking the administration to include seed funding for a city fire-department dive team in pilot negotiations with Tufts University (motion moved by a councilor and seconded; committee vote recorded). A separate council motion asked the environmental director to study installing a solar canopy at the Hormel parking lot to offset rink electricity; that motion also passed.
