Town of Westwood Makes the Case for Funding a New Fire Station 1 in Advance of Imminent FinCom Public Hearing

Thanks to Molly Fitzpatrick, Deputy Town Administrator for the Town of Westwood, for contributing this article to Westwood Minute.

April 23, 2025- The Town of Westwood is moving forward with long-planned improvements to its public safety infrastructure with the proposed reconstruction of Fire Station 1 (FS1). A critical milestone in the process will take place on Monday, April 28, when the Finance and Warrant Commission holds a public hearing to review the warrant article requesting funding approval for the new station.

The article will be presented to Annual Town Meeting on May 19, 2025, followed by a town-wide ballot vote on June 3, 2025, seeking authorization to borrow funds for the $40 million project.

Why a New Station?

The current FS1, located on High Street, was constructed in 1948 and renovated in 1975—a time when Westwood’s population and public safety demands were a fraction of what they are today. In 1975, the department had 4 full-time firefighters responding to around 1,165 calls annually. Today, Westwood has over 16,000 residents and a fire department of 44 members responding to more than 4,000 calls per year.

The current facility is no longer structurally sound, operationally effective, or safe for its workforce. The building suffers from:

• Structural deterioration, including buckling apparatus bay floors now supported underneath by steel columns.
• Contaminated work zones that do not meet firefighter safety standards for separating “hot” and “cool” areas.
• Accommodations that are not adequate for co-ed workforce.
• Inadequate space forcing some apparatus to be stored on a lower level and deployed through

Design and Features of the New FS1

Designed with cost-efficiency in mind, the new FS1 will include:

• Five apparatus bays positioned to deploy vehicles directly onto High Street in order to minimize emergency response times.
• A maintenance bay which allows in-house servicing of apparatus, preventing costly and time- consuming off-site repairs.
• Second-floor accommodations, built directly over the bays, including:
  • Gender-neutral dormitories
  • A kitchen and dining area
  • A fitness room
  • Administrative offices
  • A training room for the department’s 44 members
• A dedicated public entrance and triage room for residents seeking walk-in medical attention.

Project Cost and Taxpayer Impact

The amount needed for the project is approximately $39.5 million, broken down as follows:

• $28.5 million for construction
• $2.5 million for temporary operations
• $3 million for architectural, engineering, and project management
• $2 million for equipment and furnishings
• $3.3 million contingency

$3.5 million was previously approved at the January 2024 Special Town Meeting for design and construction bid preparations.

If approved by Town Meeting and voters at the June ballot, the Town will fund the project through a debt exclusion, temporarily raising taxes for the life of the loan. For the average Westwood home valued at $1.2 million, the estimated cost is about $368 per year, or just $1 per day.

Key Upcoming Dates

April 28, 2025 (Monday) – Finance and Warrant Commission Public Hearing 

May 19, 2025 (Monday) – Annual Town Meeting Vote

June 3, 2025 (Tuesday) – Town-Wide Ballot Vote

For more information and ongoing project updates, visit the Fire Station 1 Project Webpage.

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You may also be interested in reading:

- Town of Westwood Advances Plans for New Fire Station 1

- OPINION: Proposed FS1 is Essential, No Bells and Whistles

- OPINION: Can the Taxpayers Afford All the Bells & Whistles on FS1?

- Westwood Annual Town Election (Calendar event)

- Hale's Conservation Restrictions: Nearing the Finish Line . . . How We Got Here and What Comes Next?