By Adam Swift
The city council’s public safety subcommittee will take up further discussion about a potential new fire station in Chelsea. “The City Council has been discussing adding a new fire station for many years,” City Manager Fidel Maltez stated in a letter to the city council last week. “We thank the City Council for your visionary leadership. We firmly believe that by working together, we can make the dream of a new fire station a reality for our City.” Included with the letter to the council was a report from Fire Chief John Quatieri outlining his professional assessment of a new fire station. “The city does not currently own any properties that would adequately house a fire station,” stated Maltez. “The report looks at three possible sites: Everett Avenue, Marginal Street, and Captain’s Row. We would be happy to assess any additional sites that might be an option.” Earlier this year, Maltez informed the council that the city had conversations with Barry Berman, CEO of Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, regarding a potential collaboration on their property in Admirals Hill for the site of a new fire station. “The recent re-commissioning of Engine 4 has been a critical addition to our department’s emergency response capabilities and has already begun to strengthen operational efficiency and decrease response times,” stated Quatieri in his report. “The addition of Engine 4 has demonstrated measurable improvements in operational reliability, particularly during periods when other units are committed to simultaneous calls.” By investing in the construction of a new fire station in a strategically selected location, the fire chief stated that the department can create a base where Engine 4 can be deployed efficiently to the southern section of the city. “This would result in better distribution of department resources which improves safety for our residents and firefighters,” Quatieri stated. “The project represents a significant step toward improving emergency response performance and ensuring that our public safety infrastructure meets the demands of our growing city.” Based on evaluation criteria in the report, Quatieri stated the Captain’s Row location aligns with a greater number of key considerations. “The cost advantage represents a substantial benefit to the city,” the chief states. “One limitation of the site is the lack of available space for future expansion.” The Marginal Street location meets fewer of the identified key planning criteria, but presents a potential long-term advantage, Quatieri stated. “If a site can be successfully purchased, it may offer additional space to accommodate future expansion,” he added. District 6 Councillor Giovanni Recupero thanked the city manager for the update, and noted that the areas of the city most in need of a new station are his district and the surrounding areas in Districts 5 and 7, “There’s no fire station on that side, and that side is growing fast,” said Recupero, pointing to new developments on Central Avenue and Cottage Street. District 1 Councilor Todd Taylor said the new fire station is something that has been discussed for years, but that the city has to take a close look at the financial impact. “This is a major investment,” said Taylor. “I recognize the fact that we’ve had a lot more fires, as well, with the density that Chelsea has and the fire hazards.” Taylor said the city also has to look at the policies the city has on the books and enforce those policies so that Chelsea does not have people living in dangerous conditions that create the fires. “We want to be conscientious about actually solving that problem without just trying to throw money at it,” said Taylor. “I welcome the subcommittee, I welcome the thoughts of the fire chief; I have great respect for him.”