Barre City Firefighters, IAFF Local 881

07/21/2026

The summer is in full swing! Our members continue to be busy with emergency calls while also taking advantage of training programs and completing routine maintenance on trucks and equipment.

NFPA 1750, the standard for governing how fire departments organize and deploy personnel, outlines that fire engines should be staffed with a minimum of 4 firefighters.

Unfortunately, we frequently do not meet this standard. We continue to advocate for safe and appropriate staffing levels. As always, we appreciate your continued support.

05/19/2026

🚨 **1,000 Calls and Counting** 🚨

Earlier today, Shift 1 responded to our **1,000th call for service** of 2026.

This milestone call arrived during a period of high demand as a third simultaneous request for emergency service. With both of our primary ambulances already committed to ongoing incidents, an Engine company quickly responded to provide initial medical care while mutual aid was requested.

The rapid rise in call volume we experienced last calendar year has been sustained into this new year, maintaining a consistently high demand on our emergency response system.

We are incredibly proud of our members' dedication to keeping our community safe, and we extend a huge thank you to our neighboring EMS partners for their seamless mutual aid support today! 🚒🚑

05/07/2026

Joining our Montpelier Fire Local 2287 brothers this morning for a technical rescue training.

04/30/2026

In less than 12 hours today Shift 2, with just 3 firefighter/emts, responded to 12 calls for service, including a mutual aid brush fire in Williamstown.

Six of those calls occurred simultaneously, meaning that either limited or no further fire and EMS protection existed because all crews, including off duty firefighters called back in, were committed to incidents.

The increase in staffing needs does not mean the difference between a 5 minute and a 3 minute fire department. It means having a fire department and ambulance service that is available to show up to your emergency at all. Especially when not just minutes but seconds count.

The staffing of the fire department has not kept pace with the increasing call volume and demands on the department over the last few decades, especially with the sharp increase in call volume in recent years.

For instance, during 10 of those 12 emergencies mentioned above, the city had limited or no responders available for additional emergencies.

We cannot thank you all enough for the support while we advocate for the safety and betterment of our community.

04/26/2026

Great job to the alert and quick acting citizens in our community. Without them this could have been a much different outcome.

This morning at 10:04 AM, the Barre City Fire Department was dispatched to a reported vehicle fire at 411 N. Main Street (Beverage Baron) in the City of Barre.

Upon arrival, crews found a vehicle parked approximately four feet from a structure, with the passenger compartment heavily involved in fire. Firefighters acted quickly and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to the nearby building.

During the investigation, it was determined that at the time the fire started, two children were secured in child restraint seats inside the vehicle. Thankfully, two bystanders noticed smoke coming from the vehicle and immediately took action, entering the vehicle and safely removing the 4- and 7-year-old children from the back seat.

Their quick and decisive actions likely prevented serious, potentially life-threatening injuries.

The Barre City Fire Department cleared the scene at 10:46 AM.

04/20/2026

Shift 4 has been busy all day and into the night with 14 emergency calls so far.

The first 12 hours of their shift was staffed with just 3 firefighters, fortunately off duty firefighters were available to be called back to staff the multiple simultaneous calls that occurred.

Over the last few decades call volume has continued to increase while staffing has not. The call volume trends are expected to continue to increase, both locally and nationally.

04/12/2026

Helping our neighbors in Barre Town with a commercial building fire on Mill St in East Barre.

03/27/2026

Quick work by our members and mutual aid today kept this fire from becoming a larger incident. Fortunately, this fire occurred during the daytime, where additional staff in the station responded immediately to fill the command role, allowing the on-duty crew of just four firefighters to focus on fire attack.

03/17/2026

Saturday was a busy morning helping our neighbors. Upon Engine 3’s return from the fatal fire in Barre Town, Engine 3 was again requested mutual aid for a vehicle rollover with entrapment in Washington, fortunately the occupants were able to self extricate and our crews were not needed. Shift 4 then answered 14 calls for service on Saturday with multiple overlapping calls, some requiring mutual aid.

Our thoughts are with the victims family during this difficult time.

Berlin Barracks / Fatal fire investigation

STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE

CASE #: 26A3002047
RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Detective Sgt. Christopher Blais
DFS INVESTIGATOR: Assistant State Fire Marshal Jesse Dobiecki, Assistant State Fire Marshal Jay Moody
STATION: Berlin Barracks
CONTACT #: 802-229-9191

DATE/TIME: 3/14/2026, at approximately 0545
INCIDENT LOCATION: 4 Barclay Quarry Rd., Barre Town, VT

VICTIM: Pending positive identification and notification of relatives
AGE:
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Barre Town, VT


SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:

At about 5:45 a.m. Saturday, March 14, 2026, the Barre Town Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at 4 Barclay Quarry Rd. in Barre Town. The fire department found heavy smoke and fire on the first floor of the home upon their arrival. When making entry to the home, the fire department located a deceased individual.

Barre Town Fire requested the assistance of the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit in determining the origin and cause of the fire. Members of the FEIU worked with officers from the Barre Town Police Department to investigate the fire and untimely death. Preliminary investigation was unable to determine the cause of the fire, however it is not considered to be suspicious. The male victim was transported to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Burlington for autopsy. Identification of the victim is pending positive identification and notification of relatives.

Anyone with information regarding the fire is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Christopher Blais at VSP's Royalton Barracks at 802-234-9933, or Patrolman Koltin LeDuc at the Barre Town Police Department at 802-479-0509. Information also may be submitted by contacting the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program (VATAP) hotline at 1-800-32-ARSON (1-800-322-7766).

The Barre Town Police Department is the lead agency handling the death investigation, and all further questions should be directed to them.

03/08/2026

Incredible work by our members and mutual aid during this fire. Fire crews overcame a few setbacks early on in this fire. There were only three firefighters on duty and the two closest hydrants on the way to the fire were out of service.

We continue to advocate for additional staffing to meet the increasing needs of the community.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2026
Barre City Fire Department Responds to Smith Street Structure Fire

Barre, VT, Moments before 11:00 PM on March 4, 2026, the Barre City Fire Department was dispatched, along with second-alarm mutual aid departments, to a reported structure fire on Smith Street in Barre City.

Barre City Engine 3 arrived on scene to find significant fire in a two-story wood-frame residence. Engine 3’s captain ordered the engine’s deck gun into operation, which effectively reset the fire using approximately half of the engine’s tank water. This allowed crews to establish a water supply and deploy handlines to complete extinguishment operations.

Additional Barre City units responding included Engine 2, Truck 30, Ambulance 2, and Car 1.

The building involved was a single-family home that was undergoing renovation at the time of the fire. Nearby homes located on both sides of the fire building were identified as potential exposures due to their close proximity.

Mutual aid departments responding on the second alarm included:
• Barre Town Fire Department – Engines 3 and 4
• Barre Town EMS – Ambulance
• Montpelier Fire Department – Tower
• East Montpelier Fire Department – Cover truck providing station coverage

Barre City Police Department assisted with scene operations, while Green Mountain Power responded to secure electrical service to the building. Barre City Dispatch also played a crucial role in coordinating communications and resource deployment throughout the incident.

No civilian injuries were reported.

As with all fires occurring in the City of Barre, the incident remains under investigation to determine the origin and cause.

The Barre City Fire Department thanks all assisting agencies for their prompt response and continued partnership in protecting the community.