https://www.norwoodma.gov/departments/fire/index.php

Norwood Firefighters Local 1631, 135 Nahatan Street, Norwood, MA (2026)

04/27/2026

Over the next couple weeks, we want to walk through the jobs that need to get done on the fireground and how daily staffing in Norwood impacts those operations.

Today, we’re focusing on Engine 6.

Engine 6 is the first-due engine company on most fires in Norwood. It is responsible for initiating fire attack and setting the tone for the entire incident. Its primary responsibilities include:
• Advancing the initial attack line
• Locating and confining the fire
• Protecting life and searching areas as conditions allow
• Coordinating with incoming companies

This is the crew that makes the first entry into the building and begins suppression efforts.

Engine 6 is staffed every day with 1 Lieutenant and 3 firefighters.

This staffing allows the company to:
• Deploy and advance a hose line into the structure
• Maintain water flow and control the line
• Begin fire attack while coordinating interior operations

Even with four personnel, these are demanding assignments that require coordination, communication, and efficiency. Fire attack, search, and coordination with ladder operations are all happening in real time, often in rapidly changing conditions.

Engine 6 also plays a role beyond Norwood. As part of the regional mutual aid system, it regularly responds to working fires in surrounding communities, operating alongside neighboring departments when additional resources are needed.

It is also important to note that Engine 6 is currently the only apparatus in Norwood that meets NFPA staffing standards for a first-due engine company.

Fireground operations rely on timing, coordination, and having the right number of personnel to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. The first-due engine plays a critical role in those first few minutes, which often have the greatest impact on the outcome of the incident.

Our goal is to provide a clear, factual look at what these roles involve and how staffing levels affect them in real conditions.

If you’d like to learn more about how staffing impacts operations in Norwood, we encourage you to attend our informational session:

📅 May 7th
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Community Room, Public Safety Building

We hope you’ll join us as we continue to walk through these important topics.

04/25/2026

Today we join our brothers and sisters at Walpole Fire in remembering Walpole Firefighter Ryan Ferreira who we lost 10 years ago. Ryan was an exceptional Firefighter/Paramedic and loved by all that knew him. No matter how busy or how difficult the day was Ryan always had a smile on his face when you ran into him on calls or at Norwood ER.

“Gone to soon, but still here in our hearts and memories”

LODD: Ryan Ferreira 4/25/2016
Walpole Firefighters IAFF Local 2464

04/24/2026

Over the next couple weeks, we want to walk through the jobs that need to get done on the fireground and how daily staffing in Norwood impacts those operations.

Next, we’re focusing on Engine 5.

Engine 5 is typically the second-due engine company on a fire. Its primary responsibility is critical to the entire operation:

• Securing a hydrant
• Laying a supply line to the first-due engine

This is what establishes a sustained water supply for the fire attack. Without it, the first engine is limited to the water in its tank making the speed and effectiveness of Engine 5’s work essential.

On most days in Norwood, Engine 5 is staffed with just 2 firefighters.

That means every part of this operation locating the hydrant, making the connection, stretching the supply line, and ensuring it is charged and functioning must be completed by only two people.

There is no ability to divide tasks across multiple crews. There is no additional manpower to speed up the process. Each step has to be completed in sequence, which directly impacts how quickly a reliable water supply is established.

Adding to that challenge, securing a hydrant is not always as simple as connecting a hose. Crews routinely encounter:

• Hydrants that are obstructed or out of service
• Hydrants buried or inaccessible during Northeast winter conditions
• The need to locate and move to alternate water sources under time pressure

Each of these factors can delay water supply especially when only two firefighters are available to handle the entire process.

In addition, over the past few years, there have been multiple incidents where Engine 5 was the first-arriving company to working fires with only two firefighters on board. In many of these cases, this was the result of multiple concurrent calls, where other units were already committed.

In those moments, that two person crew is immediately responsible for size-up, initiating fire attack, and beginning critical operations until additional help arrives.

This is not a scaled down assignment. The expectation and the workload remain the same only the staffing is reduced.

Fireground operations depend on timing. The faster a continuous water supply is secured, the more effective interior operations can be. When staffing is limited, that timeline is extended.

Our goal is to provide a clear, factual look at what these roles involve and how staffing levels affect them in real conditions.

If you’d like to learn more about how staffing impacts operations in Norwood, we encourage you to attend our informational session:

📅 May 7th
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Community Room, Public Safety Building

We hope you’ll join us as we continue to walk through these important topics.

(Photo credit to MDonovanFire)

04/22/2026

Over the next couple weeks, we want to take some time to walk through the jobs that need to get done on the fireground and how daily staffing in Norwood impacts those operations.

We’re starting with Ladder 1.

The photos attached show just a small piece of what a ladder company is responsible for at a working fire. In this case, firefighters are on the roof performing vertical ventilation while others are forcing entry and working to open up the building below

Ladder companies play a critical role in nearly every fire. Their responsibilities include:
• Vertical ventilation
• Primary search for occupants
• Forcible entry
• Opening up walls and ceilings to check for fire spread
• Supporting engine companies operating inside

These are not small tasks and more importantly, they are meant to happen at the same time, not one after another.

On most days in Norwood, Ladder 1 is staffed with 1 Lieutenant and 2 firefighters.

That means a three person crew is responsible for all of these functions.

In a situation like the one shown:
• Two firefighters may be committed to the roof for ventilation
• Leaving one firefighter to handle other critical tasks below or those tasks are delayed until additional help arrives

This is the reality of daily staffing.

It doesn’t change the expectations of the job, and it doesn’t reduce the workload it just means fewer people are available to do it all at once.

Fireground operations rely on coordination and timing. Ventilation, search, and fire attack all depend on each other. When staffing is limited, those tasks often have to be staggered instead of performed simultaneously.

Our goal is to give residents a clear picture of what this looks like in real terms.

If you’d like to learn more about how staffing impacts operations in Norwood, we encourage you to attend our informational session:

📅 May 7th
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Community Room, Public Safety Building

We hope you’ll join us

04/19/2026

Engine 6 Mutual Aid to the scene in the Town of Walpole for their Working Fire on Washington Street

**Update** Norwood Engine 6 and Walpole crews are chasing pockets of fire on the first and second floor, a Second Alarm has been struck

04/18/2026

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about how the town is spending money let’s stick to what the data actually shows.

Here are the facts.

Over the past several decades, call volume in Norwood has more than tripled from under 2,000 calls a year in the 1960s to over 7,000 today. That’s roughly 20 calls every 24 hours. The emergencies are more frequent, more complex, and more resource intensive than ever before.

And staffing? It has NOT kept pace.

We are still trying to deliver modern fire and EMS services with a staffing model built for a town that no longer exists. That means more simultaneous calls, more units tied up on long transports since the hospital closure, and more reliance on mutual aid to cover gaps. That’s not a theory that’s happening every single day.

And it’s not just call volume it’s the complexity of what we’re responding to. Norwood isn’t a small, simple town. We have multiple nursing homes and elderly housing facilities, major highways, a municipal airport, dense commercial corridors downtown and in South Norwood, large commercial structures like auto dealerships, active rail lines, and growing industrial and bio-manufacturing sites. Each one of these adds risk, requires manpower, and demands a higher level of readiness than decades ago.

So when people throw around criticism, ask a simple question: How does a staffing model built for a 1975 call volume safely handle 2026 demand?

Because this isn’t about spreadsheets. You can’t “budget” your way out of needing enough firefighters on duty. You can’t replace staffing with opinions. And you can’t ignore national standards like National Fire Protection Association 1710, which clearly tie staffing levels to response times, effectiveness, and survival outcomes.

The reality is simple: Demand has gone up. Staffing has stayed flat. That gap is now significant and is impacting service.

The Public Safety Override is about closing that gap. It’s about making sure when you call 911, there’s actually a crew available and enough of them to handle the emergency safely and effectively.

The loudest critics keep pointing at the problem without offering a real solution. Saying “mismanagement” is easy. Explaining how to safely handle 7,000+ calls a year with outdated staffing… not so much.

Join us on May 7th at 7PM in the Community Room of the Public Safety Building. Ask the hard questions. Look at the data. See what’s actually happening on the street from your firefighters.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about winning an argument online it’s about whether this community has the staffing it needs when it matters most.

Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM)
International Association of Fire Fighters

04/18/2026

Engine 6 is responding mutual aid to Canton for Station Coverage for their Working Fire on Turnpike Street

04/16/2026

Late this afternoon Holbrook Regional Emergency Communications Center toned out Engine 6 for a patient who had fallen a significant height and was injured. Due to both Norwood Ambulances being out on other calls a mutual aid ambulance was requested from Walpole.

Upon arrival crews found a patient suffering from multiple injuries related to a significant fall and requested that Boston Medflight and the Canton Blood truck to respond as well. The patient was treated by Engine 6 in conjunction with Walpole and Canton Paramedics and transported to Norwood Airport to meet Boston Medflight where the patient was flown from the LZ to an area Trauma Center.

This call highlights the seamless operations between Norwood crews and our mutual aid partners who are always there to lend a hand when Norwood is experiencing multiple simultaneous calls, which is more often than not.

Walpole Firefighters IAFF Local 2464
Canton Firefighters IAFF Local 1580
Boston MedFlight

04/15/2026

Today Group 3 participated in ventilation training on duty at a building slated to be torn down. These photos show what roof ventilation actually looks like not in a textbook, not on a whiteboard, but in the real world.

Commercial roofs are rarely “just a roof.” They are often built with multiple layers rubber membrane, insulation board, gravel, old roofing systems underneath and every one of those layers has to be cut through, pulled apart, and cleared to make an effective ventilation opening. It’s heavy, it’s time consuming, and it is brutally physical work.

Now here’s the reality in Norwood:

Our Ladder Company is staffed with 3 firefighters on most days, very rarely is it fully staffed

On a typical fire, 2 of those members are assigned to the roof to perform vertical ventilation. That leaves one firefighter on the ground to handle everything else the truck is responsible for forcing entry, searching, throwing ladders, coordinating utilities, and supporting interior crews.

Think about that for a second.

Two firefighters on a commercial roof like this are expected to:

1.) Carry tools to the roof
2.) Sound and assess structural stability
3.) Cut through multiple layers of roofing
4.) Pull and clear the opening effectively
5.) Do it fast enough to make a difference for crews operating below

All while working in heat, smoke, and high-risk conditions.

This isn’t a “quick cut.” It’s exhausting, technical, and dangerous work that depends on manpower.

Industry standards like NFPA 1710 call for 4 person truck companies for a reason because tasks like ventilation require coordinated, simultaneous operations to be done safely and effectively.

When you only have 3 members, you’re not operating at full capability you’re making compromises. And in this job, compromises matter.

This is what understaffing looks like.

We hope you can all attend the Public Safety Override informational session put on by both Chief Bailey of NFD and Chief Padden of NPD tomorrow at 5:30 in the Public Safety community room

04/13/2026

Yesterday, the Norwood Fire Hockey Team brought the Wood Cup back home with a hard-fought win over the Westwood Fire Hockey Team.

This wasn’t just about hockey it was about brotherhood, community, and giving back. Thanks to everyone who came out, supported, and helped us raise money for the PFFM Pan Mass Challenge Team, supporting an incredible cause.

Great game by both teams, and a big thank you to Westwood for the competition and sportsmanship.

A special thank you to the Skating Club of Boston for hosting us at an outstanding rink, and to Gemma Kitchen & Bar for a great after party!

Westwood Firefighters Local 1994
PMC Team Professional Firefighters of MA
The Skating Club of Boston

04/10/2026

Norwood Firefighters Local 1631 will be hosting an informational session on May 7th at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Public Safety Building regarding the upcoming public safety override

This session is an opportunity for residents to hear directly from your firefighters about current staffing levels, increasing call volume, and how those factors impact emergency response in Norwood. We will walk through the data, explain how your fire department operates on a daily basis, and answer any questions you may have.

A key part of the discussion will focus on NFPA 1710, the national standard that outlines recommended staffing and response benchmarks for fire departments. Currently, NFD does not meet these standards, which directly affects the efficiency and effectiveness of operations on the fire ground.

Over the years, Norwood has experienced significant growth, and annual call volume has risen dramatically. However, staffing levels have not increased since 1975. This gap means fewer firefighters available to perform critical tasks simultaneously during emergencies.

Our goal is simple, to provide clear, factual information so residents can make an informed decision.

This is your chance to get the full picture, ask questions, and better understand what this override means for public safety in our community.

We encourage all residents to attend. When seconds matter, staffing matters, this vote will determine both.

04/07/2026

Yesterday, Norwood Fire Department Lieutenants Chisholm and Morrissey had the opportunity to train Norwood Public School nurses in the nationally recognized Stop the Bleed program during their Professional Development Day.

This hands-on training focused on one of the most critical lifesaving skills—how to recognize and control severe bleeding in an emergency. Participants learned how to properly apply tourniquets, pack wounds, and use pressure techniques that can make the difference between life and death in the first few minutes of an incident.

With school staff often being the first on scene in a medical emergency, providing them with these skills strengthens the entire community’s ability to respond when seconds matter.

We commend the Norwood school nurses for their engagement, professionalism, and commitment to student and staff safety. Their willingness to train and prepare ensures that Norwood schools are safer environments for everyone.

Norwood Fire Department remains committed to bringing programs like Stop the Bleed to our community—because preparedness saves lives.

Town of Norwood MA

Norwood Firefighters Local 1631

04/27/2026

04/25/2026

04/24/2026

04/22/2026

04/19/2026

04/18/2026

04/18/2026

04/16/2026

04/15/2026

04/13/2026

04/10/2026

04/07/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Featured

Share