Council OKs fire department budget after chief cites overtime pressures, new ladder truck and planned assistant chief hire
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Summary
The Haverhill City Council approved the fire departments budget increase after Fire Chief detailed overtime drivers — wildland responses, mutual aid, injuries and backfill for FEMA-funded hires — and described plans for a used bridge ladder truck purchase and an assistant chief appointment in January.
The Haverhill City Council voted to approve the fire departments budget after the Fire Chief outlined staffing gains, overtime pressures and equipment plans.
The chief said the department has welcomed 30 new firefighters in the last 14 months and is currently at a full complement. He announced that, with mayoral support, the department will hire a new assistant chief in January and that a used "bridge" ladder truck purchased from Lowell will allow the department to maintain a two-ladder response while performing scheduled maintenance on older trucks without relying constantly on mutual-aid partners.
"We currently are operating at a full complement right now. We have no openings right now," the Fire Chief said. On equipment, he said a used truck purchase would be a lower-cost immediate solution and that a new ladder truck is scheduled for delivery in August 2026, assuming no delays.
The chief described overtime as the "elephant in the room," saying overtime reflected several factors: a heavy 2024 season with wildfires and mutual-aid calls (he cited mutual aid up roughly 60% last year), injuries that left multiple officers on long-term disability and the citys responsibility to backfill shifts for firefighters hired under a FEMA staffing grant. He said six officers were on long-term injury last year and that those absences and other high-demand events drove overtime costs.
Councilors pressed for detail on the assistant chief position and budget columns. The chief said the assistant chief position is partially funded in the current fiscal year and will be fully staffed beginning in January; he described the citys preference for promoting from within when qualified candidates exist. Councilor McConachal and others asked about vehicle ages; the chief said Ladder 4 is more than 20 years old, Ladder 1 about 17, and the purchased used truck is about 15 years old.
The council voted on the department budget; Councilor Toohey moved and Vice President Jordan seconded. A roll-call vote recorded "yes" from members present and the motion passed.
Why it matters: The budget vote funds a department already operating at full staffing but facing high overtime driven by regional mutual-aid demands, medical leaves and post-grant staffing obligations. The ladder-truck purchase and assistant chief hire are presented as steps to stabilize operational readiness and reduce reliance on outside aid.
