MA Town Signs Off on Funding for More Firefighters

FALMOUTH, MA—Town meeting voted Monday to authorize using $971,507 in real estate and personal property taxes to fund salaries and wages for eight new firefighters for the 2021 fiscal year.

The majority vote on Article 14 authorized the expenditure of taxes that were first approved through passage of a Proposition 2½ override at the May 19 town election to fund the wages and benefits. The total cost per firefighter is $121,438, according to Finance Director Jennifer Mullen.

An additional two firefighter positions were funded Monday through passage of the fiscal 2021 operating budget, giving the Falmouth Fire Department a total of 10 new firefighters. The new hires will ensure that at least two firefighters are available to respond to calls. The new hires would also increase minimum staffing in the department from 14 personnel at the start of a shift to 16.

The department has seen an increase in annual call volume through the years. It responded to 4,217 calls in 1999, compared with 8,159 in 2019. Because of staffing limits, the department has resorted at times to sending only one firefighter on emergency calls.

The tax impact of the eight new firefighters will be 8 cents per $1,000 valuation. For a home with a median assessed value of $378,000, the increase would equal $30.24 per year, according to language in Article 14.

Some town meeting members opposed the article, citing the town's uncertain financial future given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joseph Netto, of Precinct 9, said while voters showed they want to spend extra money on new firefighters at last month's election, the town should wait to use it.

"We're in the middle of such turbulent times in many aspects," said Netto. "Let's wait until we have a better financial picture."

Martha Asendorf, a town meeting member from Precinct 6, said Falmouth had two fatal fires this spring, noting she could not remember the last time the town had one before that. She said if town meeting put off the funding, it will take even longer to get the Fire Department additional staff.

"With that in mind, I am not going to go back to voters and say, 'You voted for this but we know better. We're just going to do it this other way,'" she said.

Falmouth Fire Chief Michael Small said Tuesday he expects the new firefighters will be fully employed by February or March, if not before. New hires must first take the civil service exam before undergoing eight months of training, he said.

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