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Acton Fire Department pilot shows improved morale and outlines 3-district plan; final report due early 2026
Summary
The Fire Department and the Collins Center reviewed a pilot of alternative staffing and station configurations showing improved morale when crews co-locate, identified staffing and paramedic-training priorities, and outlined a planned three-district response model with phased paramedic coverage. A final Collins Center report is expected in early 2026.
Acton's Fire Chief and consultants from the Collins Center briefed the Select Board on Dec. 1 about a pilot program testing station staffing and operational configurations. The pilot began in February 2025 and ran through two phases into August; consultants used CAD dispatch data, contiguous-town comparisons and firefighter and public surveys to evaluate response times, staffing impacts and morale.
The department piloted a two-district model and subsequently tested a three-district configuration. Under the plan the town will operate North/Central/South districts, with the center station housing the shift commander and primary ALS ambulance. North Acton is being staffed with three personnel including a lieutenant and a designated paramedic engine concept was described. South Acton currently operates with two personnel and is expected to increase staffing as vacancies are filled and more personnel obtain paramedic certification.
The chief told the board that co-locating crews improved training opportunities and morale: firefighters reported spending more uninterrupted time together for training and felt greater trust and oversight. The Collins Center's Stephen Foley and project staff said the NFPA-derived benchmarking and CAD analyses indicate that a three-station model with improved staffing levels will increase operational capability; they also noted statewide recruitment and retention challenges.
The Collins Center said it will finalize a written report with CAD analysis, contiguous-town benchmarking and survey results. A draft timeline put the final report in the first months of 2026. The board discussed capital implications (station upgrades and a potential tight tank installation at West Acton) and requested that staffing and equipment implications be reflected in upcoming budget planning and the capital-improvement program.
The presentation framed the pilot as an evidence-driven step toward establishing a staffing and station configuration that balances response times, firefighter safety and morale while acknowledging statewide workforce constraints.
