The Healey administration announced on Tuesday that it is expediting the distribution of $5.7 million to ten cities and towns in order to support the expansion of police and fire department staffing around the state.
The funding is a direct response to the fatal fire that destroyed Fall River’s Gabriel House assisted care home last month, leaving ten people dead and numerous others injured.
Adequate staffing levels, according to the union that represents Fall River firemen, would have prevented more fatalities.
According to a statement from the Healey administration, Fall River is anticipated to receive $1.6 million in aid via the state’s Municipal Public Safety Staffing Program.
According to Healey’s office, the funds will be distributed equally between the city’s police and fire departments, with each receiving slightly over $805,000.
Governor Maura Healey announced last month that the state was allocating $1.2 million to Fall River to help with public safety staffing during an appearance in the town.
At the time, Healey stated at a press conference that “we’re expediting this in light of the tragedy, again, with significant funding going to Fall River as well as going to nine other communities that are eligible by law.” We all firmly believe that no family, citizen, or community should ever have to endure hardship or live in constant worry that they or a loved one may experience something similar.
Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon stated during the same press conference that he intends to eventually add 22 more firefighters to his department, bringing the total to 200. According to him, doing so would enable the city to have four firefighters on each of its engine companies, which is the national requirement.
According to Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, a former Salem mayor with first-hand knowledge of local finances, public safety depends on every city having enough money for first responders.
Driscoll stated that the state is able to provide resources that will support our first responders in their efforts to safeguard our communities thanks to the expedited funding that was announced on Tuesday.
Previous award recipients were free to distribute their state windfall over a 12-month period, from January 1 to December 31, according to a statement released by Healey’s office on Tuesday. This time, a 17-month window from August 2025 to 2026 was made available by the state.
The modification made the funds immediately available to police and fire services with immediate requirements. According to local officials, the adjustment was welcomed.
These monies are essential for our first responders and will enable us to continue having the number of officers and firefighters needed to protect our citizens. In a statement from the administration, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said, “This program has made our city safer and more prepared.”
The remaining state funds are going to the following towns, broken down by town:
According to Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky, “this grant will help us ensure that we can continue to provide the high level of public safety and emergency response services our residents expect and deserve.” Our police and fire departments currently have dedicated personnel deployed on active military duty.
