Hadley Firefighters Local 5486

04/30/2026

Your vote matters for the safety of our community.

HadleyLocal 5486 is asking voters to consider an override — not to grow the department, but simply to restore the staffing levels we already had. Without it, as few as zero firefighters may be on duty at any given time, delayed response times put lives at risk, and the cost of emergency overtime continues to climb.
Options B ($850K) and Option C ($650K) both move us in the right direction. Option C fully restores our Spring 2025 staffing levels, brings back a second ambulance, and actually reduces overtime costs while generating revenue through Hadley A1. Option B is a step forward too — better than nothing, but leaves gaps that we'll continue to feel.

Swipe through the cards above to see exactly what each option means for you and your neighbors.

Please vote YES on the override. Our firefighters — and our community — are counting on it.

04/19/2026

As National Telecommunicators Week comes to a close, we want to take a moment to give a heartfelt thank you to the men and women of the Hadley Public Safety Answering Point.
You are the first voice someone hears when their world is falling apart. Before we put on our gear, before we start the truck, before we ever arrive on scene — you’re already there. And doing it with a level of professionalism and compassion that never goes unnoticed by us.
Every single day you handle calls that most people couldn’t imagine. From the routine to the truly heartbreaking, you show up, you step up, and you make sure we have everything we need to do our jobs safely and effectively. That means everything to us.
The fire service doesn’t work without you. Plain and simple.
To the telecommunicators at the Hadley PSAP and to dispatchers everywhere — we see you, we appreciate you, and we are so grateful to work alongside you.

— Hadley Firefighters Local 5486

04/12/2026

Structure fire in the morning, brush fire in the afternoon, we continue to try our best even with one member on duty.

04/11/2026

Always proud to assist our neighbors!

03/31/2026

Firefighter Acquired Structure Training

For the past week, members of the Hadley Fire Department took advantage of a rare and valuable training opportunity — practicing aerial ladder placement, roof ventilation and forcible entry techniques on a real structure right here in our community.

This type of hands-on, acquired structure training is invaluable. It allows our firefighters to hone the skills they need in a realistic environment — skills that make a critical difference when seconds count.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Parmar Family for their incredible generosity in allowing us to use their property for this training. Your support directly contributes to the safety of our community and the readiness of your Hadley Firefighters. Thank you!

02/27/2026

Earlier today, Hadley firefighters responded to a working structure fire on East Street that resulted in the loss of the home and four residents displaced. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

But behind this incident is a reality our members know all too well:

The first firefighter on scene was alone.

That firefighter was forced to immediately call for mutual aid, bringing in dozens of firefighters from surrounding communities. While mutual aid is a critical part of the fire service, it is not a substitute for proper staffing at home.

Fires double in size every minute.
Emergencies don’t wait.
And neither should staffing.

Today’s response depended on help coming from neighboring towns—but those first critical minutes matter. Adequate on-duty staffing protects lives, supports safer operations, and ensures residents receive the level of service they expect and deserve.

Today, we were fortunate. Smoke detectors were present, and the residents were able to self-evacuate. But we cannot continue to rely on luck—we don’t know how long that luck will hold.

We are grateful for the strong mutual aid system and the hard work of all departments that responded. But we cannot ignore what this incident clearly demonstrates:

Hadley needs more firefighters on duty.

Our thoughts are with the displaced residents as they begin to recover from this devastating loss.

Three alarm house fire displaces four in HadleyFor more Local News from WGGB: https://www.westernmassnews.com/For more YouTube Content: https://www.youtube.c...

02/24/2026

Thank you to The Boston Globe for covering this weekend’s ice rescue on the Connecticut River.

Read the full story below.

Today’s Ice Rescue Response

The dog had gotten stuck in the Connecticut River after taking off on the ice to chasing after a squirrel, a firefighter said.

02/24/2026

HADLEY — Neighboring communities could begin seeking reimbursement for emergency responses in Hadley if the depleted Hadley Fire Department is unable to provide mutual aid for firefighting and medical calls. That’s an assessment offered by Chris Norris, Easthampton’s fire chief and president o...

02/21/2026

Today’s Ice Rescue Response

Today around 9:00AM a call came in for a dog that had fallen through the ice on the Connecticut River.

The on duty firefighter immediately responded to the reported address with the department’s ice rescue sled, dry suit, and rope bags. Upon arrival, The Chief, who responded from home, confirmed the dog had fallen through the ice, with access to the river located down a steep embankment.

Recognizing that this type of rescue requires multiple personnel, The Chief requested a re-tone of Hadley Fire Department monitors for additional manpower and also requested the Rescue Unit from Northampton Fire Rescue.

No Hadley call force or off-duty full-time members were available to respond.

With only one firefighter initially on scene, the rescue could not safely begin until additional personnel arrived from Northampton Fire Rescue.

Thankfully, the dog was successfully rescued from the water and no firefighters were injured.

This morning additional mutual aid resources were also needed, with Northampton Fire Rescue and Amherst Fire Department ambulances responding to Hadley to handle other medical emergencies occurring in town.

We would like to thank our partners who assisted on this call:
• Action Ambulance
• Hadley Public Safety Dispatch
• Hadley Police Department – who provided drone support to keep eyes on the dog and responders operating on the ice and also assisted with rescue efforts on the shore line.
• Northampton Fire Rescue
• Amherst Fire Department

⚠️ Ice rescues and many other emergencies are not one-person operations. They require multiple trained responders to operate safely and quickly.

Today’s incident had a positive outcome, but it also highlights a growing challenge: adequate staffing is critical to protecting both the public and our firefighters.

We remain committed to serving our community, but situations like this demonstrate the importance of ensuring enough personnel are available to respond when emergencies happen.

🐾 We’re grateful this rescue ended safely for everyone involved.

02/12/2026

The Hadley Fire Department responded to 10 emergency calls last Friday, including seven motor vehicle accidents, while navigating a significant staffing shortage.

02/12/2026

Last night’s Select Board listening session was a powerful reminder of how much this community cares about the Fire Department. We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support and for the serious concerns raised about our current staffing levels.

We want to sincerely thank the neighboring Unions, Chief Norris, Chief Ingram, the Hadley Residents and the Hadley Call Force who spoke up and echoed the need for increased full-time staffing. Your voices matter, and your support means more than we can put into words.

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02/11/2026

Yesterday was a bittersweet one for us.

We were saddened to lose these two firefighters due to layoffs — they served Hadley with professionalism, commitment, and pride. They were valued members of our team, and their absence has been felt.

That said, we couldn’t be happier to see them sworn in with Northampton Fire. Knowing they’ll continue serving the public in a neighboring community means a lot. Northampton is gaining two outstanding firefighters.

We wish them nothing but success and safety in this next chapter.

🚒Once Family, Always Family: A Special Day

Today, a few of our members and Chief Spanknebel had the honor of attending the Swearing-In Ceremony for two of our own, Max and Dwight, at Northampton Fire.

While we certainly miss seeing them around our station, we couldn't be prouder to see them back in uniform and continuing on their journey in the fire service. Northampton is gaining two incredibly experienced, dedicated professionals. Our loss is truly their gain, and we know they will serve their new community with the same heart they showed us here.

Congratulations, Max and Dwight! Stay safe out there.❤️

🚒💪