Adams Fire Station in 'Catastrophic' Condition; District Seeks Appointed Posts
David Lennon and Fire Chief John Pansecchi, right, speak to issues with the station. The discussion also included a move to appointed positions within the department that will be determined at the annual district meeting and election.
And that's only the beginning of the problems.
The deteriorating conditions of the 65-year-old firehouse on Columbia Street was presented during an information session Tuesday night that included discussion of organizational changes in the upcoming election. More than 70 people attended the presentation.
"Our department's home no longer meets the need of an evolving fire service," said First Assistant Engineer David Lennon. "We have major, major structural issues with this building. We have additional safety issues and other liabilities that need to be addressed before we have other catastrophic problems."
Lennon went through a history of the department — from its founding with three hand-drawn carts in 1873, to the 1890 Park Street firehouse and to the larger (at the time) current fire station in 1960.
Now it no longer meets the needs of a modern fire service with its the plethora of regulations and standards, larger and heavier vehicles, the requirements for equipment and training and a call volume that's jumped by 370 percent.
The most pressing issue is the station's floor, which is actually the building's second floor. The Water Department is housed below and accessed off Depot Street.
Lennon said the fire trucks are basically parking on a bridge — one that has had capacity issues almost since the beginning. One half the floor was replaced some 50 years but the other half is original.
The foundation lacks proper footings and the supports are pushing through the floor. It's causing the walls to crack and it's not safe for the new engine, a 2025 E-One Typhoon eMax Engine, that while smaller in width and length is still heavier than the current engine.
A recent needs assessment recommended immediate repairs.
"This floor is insufficient to safely support the live impact load," said Lennon. "That's an important thing, because the live impact load is more than just wait time. It's moving weight, and that's worse, and that's what we have to do in here. Actually, it's needed immediately to avoid a catastrophic failure."
The Fire District will be issuing a request for proposals to shore up the floor for at least the next five years as it contemplates a new station.
Because it's more than just the floor: there's leaking and rotting windows, no proper ventilation, outdated and obsolete electrical panels, minimal storage, two undersized bays (so the rescue truck has to be parked outside), no sprinkler system or CO detectors, and no space for training.
Add to that no room for expansion, a lack of parking and the difficult and dangerous need to cross traffic lanes to back the trucks into the firehouse on a major road with obstructed views.
The district could pour millions into the current station to bring it up to code, but it will still be limited by a lack of space, parking and safety.
Tuesday's presentation was the first step in the process and district officials couldn't answer immediate questions like how much it would cost, where a new station would be located or what would be done with the old building.
What it will require is the development of an advisory group appointed by the Prudential Committee to steer the process and conversations with the town and other partners.
"Within the commonwealth, there have been many fire districts, many towns, many communities who have gone this path before, and you can see what worked, what didn't work, and try to borrow from what's out there," said Lennon. "We don't need to reinvent the wheel, but we need to go ahead and try to be as inclusive as we can bring more views and people to the table."
The needs assessment also recommended the creation of a full-time paid fire chief position, which the Fire District members will vote on at the annual meeting. The chief is currently a stipend post.
Fire Chief John Pansecchi said the responsibilities of the chief have increased significantly and the hours he's been putting in over the last five years have been almost full-time, in addition to his current full-time job.
In addition to overseeing training, budgeting, purchasing, equipment and apparatus maintenance, code enforcement, background checks, fire prevention classes and education, and other administrative duties, the chief is also responsible for a range of inspections and permits including homes, liquor licenses, oil burners and propane systems, home solar panels (to ensure firefighters have access to roofs) and oversize roll-offs.
Pansecchi completed 418 inspections last year and issued nearly 200 permits. He noted that both cities had paid chiefs and a number of towns smaller than Adams.
He also stressed this vote was not about him but whoever holds the position will have the same responsibilities.
"Yes it costs money ... everybody's worried about their taxes. ... any increase in taxes hurts us too," said Prudential Committee Chair Thomas Satko. "But we came to the conclusion we need a full time chief."
The Fire District will also vote on whether the clerk and treasurer and assistant engineers should be appointed rather than elected as ballot questions.
Satko and Pansecchi said it was a matter of ensuring people in these positions are qualified and accountable. Satko said the state Department of Revenue recommended the treasurer be appointed "for efficiency and accountability and experience managing municipal finances."
The chief said elected positions can't be held to trainings or oversight.
"Anyone in Adams can run for an engineer spot," said Pansecchi. "I can tell you what you need but can't make you do it."
The chief and engineers would be paid out of the Fire District budget; the clerk and treasurer would be split between the Fire District and Water Department. A compensation plan would have to be developed but Satko said the district would have a year to deal with that since the positions' elected terms won't end until next year.
Satko could not speak to the salaries at this point but they would have benefits including insurance. The district leaders also broached the potential for hiring part-time firefighters to ensure bodies were available.
"They'll be district employees and won't have to live in the town of Adams," he said. "Some of the Alerts might not like that but we're looking for coverage to keep the people safe."
Pansecchi estimated he had about 20 firefighters who are consistent and capable but couldn't always respond to fires because of their schedules. He acknowledged the problems with recruitment but that wasn't the point of creating paid positions.
"Every fire department is having the same problem," the chief said. "This is not a step toward gaining members, it's a step toward putting qualified people in positions."
The annual election is May 13 from noon to 6 at the firehouse, followed at 7 by the annual meeting. The only other item on the election ballot is a Prudential Committee member for three years. The warrant for the annual meeting will be posted at a later date.
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