Fire Department Staffing

At a glance

What: Local 1652 and the fire chief want the city to staff every frontline fire apparatus with four firefighters, citing an independent GIS and staffing study (2019-2023 data) that finds the department understaffed for the city's size and density.
Where it stands: presented to the City Council on Oct 20, 2026; no vote. Expected to go to the Finance Subcommittee.
Next: meetings among the mayor, chief and union on raising minimum staffing from 30 to 33 per shift (about 12 hires, backfilled with overtime in the interim), and a phased multi-year plan.

Period January 2019 to December 2023; 60,538 incidents, 93,945 responses; five stations mapped.
Three specialty trucks (Ladder 3, Tower 1, Rescue 1) run three firefighters against the NFPA 1710 standard of four.
Every part of the city meets an NFPA density threshold calling for five or six firefighters per truck.
Coverage within response-time targets (best case): low-hazard buildings 25% now, 37% with a fourth firefighter on each truck, 46% and 57% in later phases; medium-hazard 1%, 16%, 24%, 30%; high-hazard cannot be met until phase three.

Phase 1: a fourth person on every frontline apparatus.
Phase 2: add a ladder company at Station 2.
Phase 3: add an engine company and a deputy chief at Station 1.
Longer term: a sixth station in western Framingham (see Western Framingham Fire Station); condition of existing stations is in Fire Station Facilities.

Broad support from the councilors who spoke, including Christine Long, John Stefanini, Michael Cannon and Brandon Ward.
Questions: overtime fatigue and cost versus hiring; priority order among apparatus (the chief: all of them, funded in steps); capital budgeting.
Christine Long linked staffing to fire risk from unpermitted work and outdoor burning.
John Stefanini asked that it go to the Finance Subcommittee.

Presenters: staffing unchanged since about 1993-94; calls up 170% and staffing down 18% since 1986; Newton and Waltham staff more per shift.
Possible funding: a federal SAFER grant application; House Bill 620 (state colleges with dorms contributing to fire costs).
Context: parts of the request were reportedly in the ideal budget last cycle and pared back.
Spellings and figures come from auto-captions and may be misheard.

About 39 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - Fire Staffing Presentation to City Council	39

2026-10-20 - Fire Staffing Presentation to City Council — Fire Chief Fire Chief Brian (surname unclear) and Andrew Oaks (Local 1652) presented the study and ask; councilors questioned and supported; to be referred to the Finance Subcommittee.
2026-10-21 - Page created from public town materials and news coverage (retrieved 2026-10-21).