Laura Hayes

The meeting focused on reviewing research from various facility tours conducted by the committee, including fire stations and town-owned properties, in preparation for submitting long-term and short-term recommendations by March 1, 2026. Key discussions included programmatic needs of Fire Station 1, presented by Chief Lund and Assistant Chief McCarthy, detailing current staffing levels, vehicle usage, and optimal response times (4 minutes for the first vehicle, 8 minutes for full response). The department operates as an Advance Life Support service with mutual aid agreements. Training requirements, equipment storage needs, and various staffing models for current operations, and projected needs for 10 or 11 firefighters, were reviewed. Future predictions included addressing growing needs at University Station, possibly requiring a future substation there.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide committee members with firsthand familiarity with potential sites for a future Fire Station through a guided walking tour. Locations reviewed included Town Hall, the Deerfield School, the American Legion site, and a landlocked parcel behind Starbucks. Key discussions focused on the options of demolishing Town Hall for a combined Public Safety Building, constructing the station in front of the Police Station, or building it on the Deerfield Elementary School site. Site access to High Street was a recurring point of discussion, particularly for the landlocked parcel which appears suitable but lacks frontage.

The committee established a framework for modernizing fire services by defining programmatic needs, emphasizing requirements such as dedicated decontamination zones, integrated training towers, and gender-neutral living quarters. Operational efficiencies, including climate-controlled medical storage and on-site maintenance bays, were prioritized. The committee began narrowing down construction or renovation sites from eight initial options, rejecting the existing station renovation due to insufficient footprint to meet safety codes. They retained three options: redesigning the current site with an economical layout, analyzing town-owned land behind Starbucks, and exploring the Deerfield School site. A significant focus was placed on community outreach and managing public perception by launching a robust engagement plan, intending to use the town website as the official source of truth. A community forum is scheduled for January 29th to provide updates and gather feedback.

The in-person meeting involved a guided tour of the Needham Fire Station Headquarters to allow committee members to view a recently constructed facility, understand the functional purpose of each space, and gather information to inform departmental needs regarding a new fire station. The committee toured various areas including storage, training room, maintenance bay, apparatus bay, administrative offices, and living quarters. Specific attention was given to the four drive-through apparatus bays and five auxiliary bays. Feedback from Needham firefighters on operating in the current facility was discussed, noting the need for additional lockers in the decontamination zone.

The purpose of the in-person meeting was for the FS1 Steering Committee to tour the fire station to observe current conditions, understand the functional purpose of each space, determine if existing spaces are sufficient for programmatic needs, and gather information to inform departmental requirements. The committee toured storage areas, the training room, maintenance bay, apparatus bay, administrative offices, and living quarters, inspecting vehicle parking areas. Detailed responses were provided regarding space utilization and necessary improvements. The Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief also covered topics such as shift changes, personnel training, emergency response procedures, and pointed out structural changes needed to meet new mandatory standards. The Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief are scheduled to present further information at the subsequent meeting.