Letters
LETTER: Watertown Fire Department is Understaffed and at Risk
|
In light of the recent tragedy in Fall River — where limited staffing hindered rescue efforts at an assisted living facility — it’s time to look critically at our own fire protection in Watertown. Watertown is dangerously understaffed, falling below national safety standards. According to NFPA 1710, fire apparatus should be staffed with a minimum of 4 firefighters. In April of this year, at a budget and fiscal oversight committee meeting, Councilor Piccirilli stated, “I’ve been a member of the NFPA for over 30 years and I really believe in this stuff and it’s a good way to run an organization” He also stated that “we should be meeting, at a minimum, the published national standards”
In Watertown:
• Engines operate with only 3, 1 officer, and 2 firefighters• Ladder trucks often run with just 2• Ladder 2, which covers the Eastside, a dense and growing part of town, regularly runs with 2 firefighters and no officer
Prior to the addition of a second ambulance, approved for fiscal year 2026, staffing has not increased since 2008:
• 2007: Minimum staffing dropped to 18• 2008: Cut again to just 17 firefighters per shift, where it remains today• From fiscal years 2023–2026, multiple staffing requests were submitted — all denied
Meanwhile, the city is growing rapidly, with more complex emergencies, more residents to protect, and an increasing call volume. High-Risk & High-Density Structures:
• Charles River Towers: 192 residential units in a high-rise• Arsenal Yards: 400,000+ sq.
