Support New Bedford Fire Department

06/18/2026

Some New Bedford city councilors are saying they’ll cut enough from Mayor Jon Mitchell’s proposed $535.2 million budget to keep Engine 9 open. See link below ⬇️

📸 Frank Mulligan/Standard-Times

06/16/2026

WORKING STRUCTURE FIRE @ 198 HERITAGE DRIVE

06/05/2026

06/02/2026

At least nine people were displaced after a morning fire at a multi-family home on Hathaway Street yesterday, where New Bedford firefighters — led by Engine 9 establishing a critical water supply for Engine 8 — quickly extinguished the blaze and successfully rescued a family dog, demonstrating how proper staffing and available apparatus prevented the incident from becoming far worse.

STORY, PHOTOS, VIDEO: https://www.newbedfordguide.com/nine-displaced-morning-fire-new-bedford-multi-family-home-hathaway-street/2026/06/02

06/01/2026

Engine 9 was the second engine on scene at this fire and played a critical role in the outcome. Their crew established the water supply for Engine 8, allowing Engine 8’s firefighters to focus immediately on getting water on the fire and stopping its spread.

This is exactly why safe staffing levels and keeping fire apparatus in service matter. Having the right resources available at the right time made a difference and helped prevent this incident from becoming much worse. Every company has a job to do, and when all the pieces are in place, lives and property are better protected.

WORKING STRUCTURE FIRE AT 68 HATHAWAY ST.

05/31/2026

Let’s talk about Coverage Areas and Response Times:

Each fire apparatus in the city has a specific area they cover. Lets walk through two scenarios of what it looks like when a fire occurs in our far North End.

Scenario 1: Whenever an apparatus goes on a call they are tagged 'out of service' until they complete that call. Lets say our North End Engine, E5, is on scene somewhere for a cardiac arrest call when a fire breaks out at the Eversource LNG Facility, which is right on the northern border of New Bedford, on Peckham Road. An LNG incident is one of the most dangerous incidents a fire department can respond to.

With Engine 9 in service, E9 is on scene in 8 minutes. Without Engine 9, Engine 8 is first due at 10 - 12 minutes. Engine 7 follows at 12 - 14 minutes. A 2 - 4 minute gap for first due at an LNG facility in a residential area where you cannot extinguish the fire, only control it. Where the first arriving crew is establishing perimeter, protecting exposures, and making decisions that cannot wait.

Scenario 2: Lets look at the Industrial Park, which is also in the North End. Here there are many industrial facilities, and notably this area of the city struggles with hydrants and water availability. When E5 is dispatched to a fire in the Industrial Park without Engine 9, Engine 5 arrives on scene and operates alone. Waiting significantly longer for a second engine than they ever should.

Engine 9 was the unit that closed that gap. Without it, Engine 5 is the crew holding the line by themselves while the clock runs.

Two different scenarios. The same result. One engine carrying more than it should, for longer than is safe, at some of the most technically demanding incidents in the fire service.

This is not a worst-case hypothetical. Simultaneous calls happen every day. Distance is a fact of geography. The question is not whether these scenarios are possible, it is whether the city is willing to accept the consequences when they occur.

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05/30/2026

The safety of New Bedford’s citizens should not be gambled upon by the city. No matter what, New Bedford Firefighters will never stop fighting for you.

They will always put service above self, and always prioritize life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation.

05/29/2026

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🚨 SAVE NEW BEDFORD FIRE STATION NO. 9 🚨