Town Manager John Mangiaratti and Fire Chief Anita Arnum report that the Acton Fire Department will be launching a fire station deployment pilot program starting in February.

The Town of Acton used state grant funds to hire Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management (Collins Center) to support the ongoing effort to examine the current service delivery model for fire and EMS to explore innovative approaches to increase operational efficiency across Acton and ensure that services, apparatus, and personnel are being deployed into the community most effectively.

As part of this pilot program, Acton Fire will temporarily consolidate personnel and apparatus into two stations: 

• North, Station 4 (68 Harris St.) 
• South, Station 2 (54 School St.)  

Acton Fire developed this plan in collaboration with Acton Firefighters Local 1904.

The Town will be split into two nearly equal-sized districts, each to be served by a district fire station, North or South.

Consolidating into two stations will allow the department to utilize more staff per apparatus. This will ensure that more personnel can arrive at a scene or respond timely and efficiently, provide better training opportunities, improve safety, and allow the department to staff an ALS-level ambulance at each station. Currently, only one ambulance is being staffed at the Central Station. 

This plan was presented to the Select Board, by Chief Arnum, during a public meeting held on Jan. 13.

The pilot program will begin in February and continue for three to four months.  Once the pilot program begins, Station 1 and Station 3 will be temporarily unstaffed. Signs will be posted to indicate their temporary closure and contact information for residents and community members who need immediate assistance.

This is not a cost-saving measure, the primary goal of the program is to improve the efficiency of the department in all aspects of service.  

This is the first of potentially several pilot programs Acton Fire will conduct to explore service options.

In late December, the Town of Acton contracted the Collins Center using $49,500 of the $57,500 in grant funding awarded from the Community Compact Cabinet Efficiency and Regionalization grant program. The Collins Center will help monitor and report on response times, conduct a community survey, and seek public feedback as it relates to these initiatives. The pilot program is temporary and will follow specific metrics to evaluate its effectiveness over the next few months.

The Town of Acton and Acton Fire understand that the temporary closing of two stations may cause concerns; however, the Town is thoroughly committed to the safety of residents and the community. Through this pilot program, the department will have the opportunity to address areas of concern and improve response for the community and its mutual aid partners.

Updates on the program's progress will be shared as they become available. 

 For additional questions about the program, residents are encouraged to view the town website at www.actonma.gov or to contact the Town services hotline at 978-929-6600.