Fire Department Staffing in Seekonk

Town Administrator Shawn Cadime said increasing fire department staffing remains a top priority. At last week’s Select Board meeting, member Michael Healy, a former Fire Chief, explained the department was “understaffed” and “undermanned.”

“Since 2014, Chief Healy and I have been open about staffing being a challenge for the Seekonk Fire Department,” Town Administrator Shawn Cadime said Tuesday. “From day one, it has been a shared priority to address those concerns, and with the support of the Select Board and the community, we've made significant progress, even while balancing other competing priorities in Town.”

“In FY’ 2024, the Select Board set a goal to reach 12 firefighters per group within three years,” Cadime noted. “We began working toward that goal with the 5 positions added in FY 2024, but achieving it will require 8 additional firefighters, at an estimated cost of roughly $800,000. Reaching that benchmark will allow us to fully and adequately staff both Station 1 and the Banna Fire Station.”

Plans for a South End Fire Station are ongoing. Chief Shaun Whalen explained that if the station were to be built, some firefighters would need to be reassigned from the other two stations – the Banna station on Pine Street and the Police/Fire Headquarters on Taunton Avenue. Additional staff would also need to be hired.

Cadime said the town has made “substantial investments in apparatus, equipment, and capital improvements. The Fire Department's annual operating budget has grown from $2.4 million in FY 2014 to $4.9 million in FY 2026.”

“In short, staffing remains a concern and our top priority, but we've made major strides over the past decade and will continue working toward the level needed to ensure both firefighter safety and the highest quality service for our residents,” Cadime added.