Plympton Fire Station Proposal Aims to Address Safety Concerns and OSHA Compliance
Town considers modern facility to replace 50-year-old station, with plans to repurpose existing building as community center
PLYMPTON - March 17 - The town is considering a proposal for a new fire station to replace the current 50-year-old facility that no longer meets safety standards and fails to comply with upcoming OSHA regulations.
During a recent informational meeting, Town Properties Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen presented plans for the new station, highlighting safety concerns with the existing building and explaining how the proposed facility would address these issues.
"The building is a little tight, a little dangerous for the size vehicles that we have today," Wilhelmsen says, showing images of the current station. "We are looking at a new station really for physical and occupational safety concerns for our personnel."
The existing station, built 50 years ago, lacks adequate space for modern fire apparatus, which have grown significantly larger over time. The current ambulance barely fits in the bay, with minimal clearance at the back of the vehicle.
"Modern engines have gotten bigger, and everything continues to get bigger," Wilhelmsen explains. "The ambulances seem to grow three feet every generation or so."
Beyond size constraints, the current station presents numerous safety hazards. The fire chief notes that diesel particles from vehicle exhaust are major contaminants contributing to increased cancer rates among firefighters.
The station also fails to meet current OSHA standards and regulations. According to the fire chief, Massachusetts is adopting 21 National Fire Protection Association requirements as law in 2025, including mandates for separate gear storage and proper ventilation systems.
"When Massachusetts first became an OSHA state, the fire departments were kind of not quite part of that original adoption of OSHA standards," the chief explains. "Last year, it was announced that there are 21 NFPA requirements that are going to become law."
The proposed station addresses these concerns with appropriate apparatus bays, dedicated gear storage areas, and facilities for firefighters to shower and clean up after calls before entering public or private spaces.
"This is set up with appropriate gear storage and also locations to be able to do the gear models," Wilhelmsen says. "The staff can go right in here. They can leave off their gear to clean. You can also take showers before entering any of the private or public space of the fire station."
The new design includes administrative space, a kitchen and great room, sleeping quarters, and a training room that could serve multiple purposes, including as an emergency operations center during major incidents.
The project is currently out for bid, with responses expected by mid-April. If approved, construction would begin in summer 2025 and take approximately 18 to 24 months to complete.
Approval requires a two-thirds vote at the 2025 annual town meeting and passage of a debt exclusion question on the ballot. The committee plans additional public outreach meetings, including a daytime session on Saturday and two weeknight meetings in April.
When bids are received, the finance team will calculate the tax impact for residents. "When we get the bids in and we come up with the cost, we will work with Liz [Dennehy] and the finance team to make that mean something," Wilhelmsen says. "How much does that mean to the average house per $100,000? So you can understand what this cost is to you."
Committee members emphasize that delaying the project would likely increase costs. "If the town decides it's going to do it this year and wait a year and do it another year, I think the safest thing I can tell you is it will cost more," Wilhelmsen notes.
The committee also discusses plans to repurpose the existing fire station as a community center once the new facility is built. This conversion would require minimal modifications to the building.
"You could use the building right now," Wilhelmsen says. "I envision if we were to make some modifications to the building, they would be relatively minor. Things like taking out the garage doors and putting windows in instead."
Committee member Ross MacPherson adds that such changes wouldn't trigger major code compliance issues. "The way that the renovation codes work is generally if you're touching 50% or more of the building. If we're just talking about sprucing things up and tweaking some things in the kitchen and front office, that's not going to trigger the code."
Some committee members express interest in focusing the repurposed space on senior programs. "Although we have it labeled as a community center, some of us of course hope that there's a bit of a focus on the senior side of the community," Colleen Thompson notes. "There are, at this point, many grants available for rehab and building out communities that are senior centers."
The committee encourages residents to learn more about the project and share accurate information with neighbors. "I think it's important that everybody here takes a little responsibility and talks to their friends and neighbors about this," an attendee says. "This is a big deal for the town."
Fire House building has gotten out of hand. A “little” tight? Please go out and look at the situation. When was the last house fire in Plympton? How often do they have to wear gear? Go to 8-12 hr shifts so they sleep, eat etc at home.