Stockbridge and West Stockbridge — More than a year in the making, the Stockbridge and West Stockbridge shared fire and emergency medical services project has its first employees. Chief Vincent Garofoli, who heads up the fire departments for both towns, introduced Deputy Fire Chief of Emergency Services (EMS) Michael J. Meagher Jr. and Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Paul Hernandez, now employed by the new entity, at the West Stockbridge Select Board’s September 15 meeting.
Both Meagher and Hernandez possess unique histories emanating from a familial line of public service.
“I’d like to point out that the badge that [Meagher] is wearing is different from everybody else’s badge,” Garofoli said. “That is his grandfather’s badge.”
Hernandez, a second-generation firefighter who is training to be a paramedic, is following in the footsteps of his mother “who died in the line of duty in Miami,” he said.
Garofoli noted that the department’s presence around town has been “more robust,” with greater siren usage and emergency vehicular traffic due to Stockbridge’s response to West Stockbridge calls, supplementing the local department. He acknowledged the important role played by resident volunteers as the program was designed to accommodate a hired staff 24 hours, seven days a week, but supported by volunteers.
Garofoli explained that when West Stockbridge has a call, those tones are sounded out on the alarm to dispatch West Stockbridge apparatus, with Stockbridge harboring distinct call tones denoting alarms for that town’s department to be dispatched. “What that means for your [West Stockbridge] people and your residents and your firefighters is they are their own department,” he said. “We share the administrative staff and the commanding staff and the inspection responsibilities, but they have got their own entity back.”
Previously, West Stockbridge’s department only staffed firefighters without EMTs on its roster. Emergency medical services were provided by Richmond Ambulance pursuant to an agreement with that town.
“All our job is to make sure everyone works in unison,” Garofoli continued. “We drill together, we talk together.”
Staff from both departments lined up along the back wall of the West Stockbridge meeting room. “We are two separate departments, but we are unified in our response and our goal to provide the best emergency, fire, and EMS services to both communities equally,” Garofoli said to applause.
The joint program is currently in its first stage that includes adding two firefighters, Stockbridge Town Administrator Michael Canales said. However, the tasks for those new employees entail developing the future department over the next two years, he said.
Project details will be presented as the program’s Oversight Board—including Garofoli, the town administrators from both municipalities, and representatives from each select board—embarks on its quarterly meetings set to begin next month. The group sessions will be open to the public and will focus on the needs and challenges of the project moving forward, a project that is anticipated to be fully operational in fiscal year 2028.
According to Canales, the new ambulance to be acquired for the project has been ordered and is due to be delivered in early 2027. An application for a $1.5 million federal grant has been made, with those funds to be used to defray personnel costs, he said. However, Canales clarified that cost worksheets for the program were not based on obtaining such funds, “so if we do get the grant, it will just be a bonus as we put together this operation.” A second option for the same grant the following year is available to the program.
Departments see increase in service calls
The program could not come too soon as Garofoli addressed the uptick in calls surrounding both communities.
To date, 150 incidents in West Stockbridge have required fire and/or EMS response. Last year, at this time and while the town was joined with Richmond for those services, that tally was 191 incidents, with 72 of those 191 events being in Richmond, leaving 119 in the town of West Stockbridge.
“So, you are 31 calls ahead of last year as a single department than you were with two [departments],” Garofoli said.
According to Garofoli, West Stockbridge is encountering more fire calls than EMS calls, attributing that increase due to residents being more sensitive to unattended outdoor fires following the Butternut Fire, last fall’s wildfire in Great Barrington. Calling 911 is a proper way to respond to any immediate fire, police, or EMS situation, he said, “regardless [of] if you believe [it] is severe or minor in nature.”
Additionally, in all of 2024, West Stockbridge had almost the same amount of EMS calls as it posted during only the eight-plus months of 2025.
“What that’s telling me is your community definitely needs emergency medical services on a very consistent basis,” Garofoli said, adding that most of those calls required the assistance of a paramedic on the response.
“I think it’s important that the community knows that the EMS model you have currently is adequate, but we are looking as we move forward to add to that and enhance the service delivery model to meet your needs,” he said.
Stockbridge is eyeing a similar increase in calls, Garofoli said, with 2025 counting as “a record year for both departments.” “The sirens you’re hearing aren’t just the increased response,” he said. “It’s the increased call volume as well.”
