By Adam Swift
What started as a trial for a fourth fire engine in the city has become a permanent fixture in the fire department, according to City Manager Fidel Maltez.
In response to a large number of fires in 2024, the fire chief introduced Engine 4 into the normal rotation operating out of the Central Fire Station earlier this year.
“Having a fourth engine gives the fire department the ability to respond to several incidents, and attack fires from multiple angles,” said Maltez. “Engine 4 has had an immediate impact on our operations by improving our ability to distribute workload, work towards reducing response times, and provide more consistent coverage across the city. By implementing this additional engine, it puts us in a better position to meet the expected increase in call volume as the city continues to grow and develop.”
Maltez said the city has worked with the firefighters’ union to make Engine 4 a permanent fixture in the city, and that he is confident that the department can run Engine 4 without requesting any additional funds for the current fiscal year.
“I just want to thank the city manager for working with the fire department to build this,” said Councilor-at-Large Roberto Jimenez-Rivera.
Jimenez-Rivera noted that District 6 Councilor Giovanni Recupero has been a long-time advocate of expanding fire department coverage in the city, including the possibility of opening a new fire station in Chelsea.
“I think that our fire department has done an amazing job, and I am really proud to call them our fire department, our firefighters here in Chelsea,” said Council President Norieliz DeJesus. “I think now it is our job to make sure that we are also doing our due diligence within other departments that also contribute to the fire (safety) in our community, such as the special service, such as making sure that our homeowners have the resources they need to make sure that our apartments are up to code and safe for our community. I know that our city manager and our city solicitor, as well as our ISD director are working on that, but I applaud the work that has been done and I look forward to continuing to see our departments work together.”