Templeton Firefighters - Local 5311

05/27/2026

We know a thing or two about short staffing, and this is unacceptable! Your safety, our safety, and their safety is on the line.

Please take a moment to see our staffing levels compared to other communities.

How can we afford to lose two or more positions when we are already operating with a skeleton crew?

Services and response times are going to be affected. No police on duty overnight in a town with three bars is asking for big problems.

05/25/2026

Today we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great nation. May their courage forever inspire us.

05/24/2026

Our deepest sympathies to BFD and the family of Brother Kilduff. Rest in Peace.

05/20/2026

We are dismayed to see that the town is now looking at in excess of a $750,000 shortfall, despite being told that everything had been worked out diligently, line by line by the Select Board.

As if the fire budget hadn’t been hit enough - maintenance for an aging fleet cut by 50%, gear for personnel was cut, per diem, overtime, and sick hours were cut. The training budget was cut as well.

Now we are being told by the chair of the select board that we need to target the big three - police, fire, and DPW.  These departments are working at bare-bones in the next fiscal year as it is, and you want to continue to take from them?  You have decimated the ranks so that when an emergency happens, you’re going to be waiting for an ambulance, fire apparatus, or police officer.

As a taxpayer, you should be appalled. Your board is telling you what you want hear while posting things like this. Who really has the best interest of the town at heart when they plan to destroy public safety?

05/17/2026

Our thoughts go out to our brothers and sisters at Sterling Fire Department during this difficult time.

05/17/2026

From all of us at Local 5311, happy EMS week to the first responders, EMTs, and paramedics of the Templeton Fire Department. We are grateful for your courage and dedication to the citizens of Templeton and our mutual aid partners.

05/14/2026

The members of Templeton Fire Department would like to take a moment to thank JoAnn Griffin and her team at Central Massachusetts Disaster Animal Response Team (CMDART) for the generous donation of two sets of pet oxygen masks. This donation was made possible by a grant awarded to CMDART to assist with their training, support, supplies, and personnel which help prepare first responders in providing aid to animals affected by man-made or natural disasters. The grant was made possible by the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts.

These oxygen masks are designed to provide oxygen to pets experiencing respiratory distress, primarily those that suffer from smoke inhalation during fires.

Thank you JoAnn and everyone at CMDART!

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there — especially our own!

04/28/2026

We would like to thank the Templeton Select Board for finding a way to protect the two threatened positions if the override fails. We appreciate your work on this matter.

Tonight you mentioned needing more staffing and we couldn’t agree more. Let’s start a discussion after budget season to figure out how we can make this work while looking to improve response times with a modern and centrally located station.

04/26/2026

FF/FRs Demar and Leichtweis spent time this morning training with Forestry 1 to improve their drafting skills!

04/25/2026

Here’s another great video put out by our brothers and sisters at Auburn Fire Department regarding staffing levels. Worth the watch - cutting staffing will negatively impact response times during your emergencies. This video shows a minimum of two — imagine the delays with one responder while waiting for mutual aid.

16 likes, 1 comment. "Effective Staffing of Emergency Medical Calls"