Stockbridge — For months, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge officials, along with Richmond’s leaders, have been meeting to solve the growing shortage of area fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, departments that had traditionally been filled by volunteers.
Although Richmond will now chart its own course regarding those services, Stockbridge took a big step forward December 17 as its fire and EMS representatives approved putting to the Select Board its commitment to a joint project with West Stockbridge that includes constructing a new fire station, purchasing an ambulance, funding a two-year interim period before the shared-services program begins, and creating a five-person building committee to evaluate the operational needs and costs of such an endeavor.
Comprised of three members of the Stockbridge Fire Department, a member of the Stockbridge Finance Committee, and one member of the community, the building committee will have nine months to a year to submit its recommendations to the Stockbridge Select Board, with an article slated to go before residents at the May 2026 Town Meeting.
On Thursday, December 19, the measure goes before the Stockbridge Select Board for its approval, and the West Stockbridge Select Board will have its say in January.
Stockbridge Town Administrator Michael Canales reiterated the detailed “Shared Fire & Emergency Medical Services Cost Analysis” that has been put before representatives since mid-year. That document can be found here.
“We think, overall, this is the first step forward in a long-range plan,” Canales said.
Nuts and bolts of the shared-services proposal
The shared services idea aims to combine fire and EMS services between Stockbridge and West Stockbridge by hiring full-time professionals functioning around the clock who are backed up with volunteer support. Given the financial and population data for each town, project costs will generally be split proportionally, with 60 percent of those costs borne by Stockbridge and 40 percent contributed by West Stockbridge.
The crew will consist of eight full-time fire/EMS staff and one chief, with two staffers serving as deputy chiefs assigned to the department’s operations. The chief will focus on the financial side of the department, along with an oversight board of town administrators and Select Board designees. The cost of the staff salaries is estimated to be $977,205, with Stockbridge apportioned $589,785, or 60 percent of the total, and West Stockbridge apportioned $387,420, or 40 percent of the total.
The fire station will be located in Stockbridge, housing ambulances and full-time staff. The optimal site for the station is near the intersection of Routes 102 and 183 since that location provides a “significant improvement” in response times for both towns as having been determined in an analysis conducted by JB Consulting Group LLC, Canales said.
Based on the building costs of fire stations constructed in other nearby areas such as Hadley and Williamsburg, Mass., as well as Cambridge, N.Y., the construction budget is estimated to be around $5.27 million. Stockbridge will own the facility and assume an annual building payment for the structure of $354,000 in addition to the town’s charges for staff annual salaries of $589,785.
However, Canales cited a couple of negatives to the proposal: high initial costs and an increase in operational costs per town.
Interim
With the shared services and new station house not anticipated to be up and running until fiscal year 2029, interim provisions are planned to maintain emergency services for the towns.
Currently, West Stockbridge shares EMS services with Richmond. Stockbridge maintains two shared EMS-services agreements with Lenox and Lee until fiscal year 2028. West Stockbridge will need to enter into an agreement with Richmond for EMS services until fiscal year 2028 so those services don’t lapse.
Pursuant to the proposal, Stockbridge will provide fire support to both towns for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, up to 10 hours per day, seven days a week, adding two additional firefighters. That cost will be divided, with Stockbridge charged $154,571.46 and West Stockbridge charged $101,535.54, according to the arranged 60/40 split.
Although Stockbridge has an ambulance the town received from Lee, the vehicle isn’t sufficient to serve as a primary unit but only as a backup if the main ambulance is out of commission. To make the shared services debut by fiscal year 2028, an ambulance will need to be ordered in fiscal year 2026, given the extensive time required to build the vehicle. The approximate cost of that ambulance is $450,000, with Stockbridge assuming $270,000, or 60 percent of the cost, and West Stockbridge assuming $180,000, or 40 percent of the cost.
Canales said efforts will be made to obtain federal funds—a Safer Grant—for four years of the project to assist with some of the costs. Additionally, he said the town’s free cash may be set aside to adhere to a debt schedule for the new facility so the impact to the community wouldn’t be “a big jump” in any one year.
The vote
When asked if there is a chance that both communities wouldn’t approve such an agreement, Canales acknowledged the increased cost. “Look at what we’re building here—a 24/7 backbone of paid staff and then volunteer departments that are going to work in combination to create what we think is the best option that we have on the table,” he said.
Stockbridge Fire Chief Vincent Garofoli gave his full support for the project moving forward and, together with Canales, advocated for getting the information out to residents through a town website link and public-outreach sessions.
On November 4, the West Stockbridge Select Board approved Garofoli as chief of the town’s fire department beginning January 1 when current Chief Steven Traver retires.
“There’s been a lot going on in the community these past couple of years with COVID and everything else, and to highlight the needs of EMS and the inadequate EMS system has really put this as a concern for many citizens, both those that live here all of the time and live here seasonally,” Garofoli said. “So, I think this is not something that’s going to be ignored by the general community. I really think there’s going to be some buy in.”
