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Fire chief seeks larger tanker via AFG match and feasibility study to expand South Station
Summary
Chief Thompson asked the committee to increase the town match on an AFG tanker grant to buy an engine‑tanker with higher water capacity and to fund a feasibility study to expand or relocate South Station to accommodate future staffing and training needs.
Middleborough Fire Chief Thompson asked the Capital Improvement Planning Committee on Jan. 22 to increase the town’s match for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) so the department can purchase a larger engine‑tanker and to fund a feasibility study of South Station.
Chief Thompson said FEMA awarded roughly $684,000 through AFG; the standard match would be about $68,000. He requested increasing the town match to approximately $300,000 so the town could purchase a new engine‑tanker with roughly 1,500–1,800 gallons of water rather than a smaller tanker. "A thousand gallons of water gives you about 4 to 5 minutes of firefighting time…With 1800 gallons of water, we're looking at closer to 8 to 9 minutes," the chief said, explaining that larger on‑scene water capacity would allow continuous water flow until successive units arrive and would improve firefighter safety and operations in the town’s southern response area.
Thompson also described how a larger, standardized apparatus could allow the department to consolidate fleet needs and eliminate older vehicles scheduled for replacement, producing long‑term savings despite the larger near‑term expense.
The chief separately requested funding for a South Station feasibility study to examine options to expand or rebuild the station to house six personnel and to consider relocating the station closer to Route 495 to improve response times; he also proposed assessing whether a training facility could be accommodated adjacent to a rebuilt or expanded station. Thompson said South Station has been reconfigured internally to add space for three firefighters but that the station’s small living and apparatus spaces limit longer‑term staffing and operational needs.
Committee members discussed scheduling and procurement logistics: lead times for custom fire engines can be multiple years and the AFG performance period constrains when a vehicle must be delivered. Members and the town manager discussed reprioritizing other capital items (for example, a loader purchase) to accommodate the fire apparatus request if the committee decides the tanker is the highest priority. The committee did not take a formal vote on funding at the Jan. 22 meeting but asked staff and the chief to refine timelines and cost offsets ahead of final recommendations.
