Fire Chief Details Truck, Staffing Crisis

Select Board · Meeting of August 31, 2026

Blandford's fire chief warned the Select Board that a failing transmission, thin volunteer staffing and a crumbling station threaten emergency response. Fire Chief Adam Doley said a recent $7,000 transmission repair on the department's 30-year-old engine failed again, with a further $12,000 to $13,000 needed, while a new engine would run about $700,000 with a 14-to-16-month wait. Doley said the department has five to seven active responders against a desired 15, while one board member put total roster size at 12 with "at best five people to a call." Department member A.J. Osborne said the Chester Road station "is legitimately falling apart," with the ceiling failing.

Separately, library building committee member Nicole reported the town now holds nearly 50 percent of its state construction grant funding up front, with groundbreaking expected in early October and completion targeted for November 2027.

In the full story:

• Fire Department: Equipment, Staffing and Station Condition
• Library Building Project
• Water System, Meters and Fuel Tank Inspection
• Highway Paving Plans and Beach Hill Bridge
• Beaver Mitigation Funding and Springfield Water and Sewer Land
• Cannabis Cultivation Facility Special Permit Concerns
• Routine Business, Veterans Services, Assessors and Council on Aging
• Public Comment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,994 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of August 31, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.