PLYMOUTH - January 29, 2026 - In a sobering presentation to the Select Board, Plymouth’s Police and Fire Chiefs warned that the town’s emergency services have reached a “tipping point,” struggling to keep pace with a 34% population explosion and record-breaking call volumes. Fire Chief Neil Foley reported that 2025 was the busiest year in the department’s history, with 14,046 emergency calls—a 10% increase in a single year—while Police Chief Dana Flynn revealed the department is currently operating with 16 vacancies, leaving staffing levels nearly 26% below the national average.
The Full Story
The January 29th meeting was dominated by a joint presentation from Police Chief Dana Flynn and Fire Chief Neil Foley, who utilized crime analyst Aaron Kearney to lay out the data-driven reality of Plymouth’s safety infrastructure [01:11:13]. The data showed that Plymouth’s median age of 47.9 is significantly higher than the state average, leading to a surge in complex medical calls; nearly 52% of all 911 transports now involve patients over the age of 65 [01:14:36].
Chief Flynn highlighted a critical patrol gap, noting that a single officer is often responsible for patrolling sectors as large as 43.5 square miles—an area larger than the city of Brockton and the town of Norwell combined [01:24:20]. “We have less officers now on the road and we have more land today and more locations we have to respond to,” Flynn stated, noting that response times have increased by 16% since 2023 [01:28:35].
On the fire side, Chief Foley emphasized that current minimum staffing of three personnel per engine falls short of the national safety standard of four [01:36:20]. He shared a recent success story where an extra staff member on a bitterly cold night allowed crews to save a home from an attic fire, arguing that such outcomes are only possible with adequate manpower [01:38:32]. The Chiefs are now advocating for a new joint public safety complex to address aging facilities and a “safer grant” to add at least 20 new firefighters to the force [01:43:17, 02:24:52].
“We’re at a tipping point. I think this year, with us exceeding 14,000 calls for service, we’re over the tipping point. We need help.” [02:02:31] — Fire Chief Neil Foley
The board also tackled a controversial motion by Chairman David Golden to reconsider the elected officials stipends to “zero out” the annual stipends for Select Board members ($4,000 for members, $4,500 for the Chair) as a symbolic gesture during a tight budget cycle [04:05:20]. The motion failed 1-4, with members Richard Quintal and Kevin Canty arguing that the stipends should remain for future board members who may rely on them to cover the significant costs of public service [04:13:12, 04:06:35].
In more positive news, the board unanimously moved toward a greener future, approving five Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for solar arrays at the library, DPW, and several schools [04:04:50]. These projects, described as “no-cost” to the town, are projected to save $246,000 annually and $4 million over the next 20 years [03:52:09].
Why It Matters
For Plymouth residents, these developments translate to potentially longer response times for police and fire emergencies if staffing and infrastructure are not addressed. The debate over board stipends and the push for budget oversight workshops reflect a growing friction between maintaining essential services and managing the tax burden on a town that is growing faster than its current revenue can support.
Official Minutes & Data
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: To approve administrative notes 2-5 and 7-9 as a group. [54:11]
Vote: 5-0 ([54:30])
Motion: To approve Article 18 (Capital Improvements) including $21.4M for road repairs and infrastructure. [03:16:41]
Vote: 5-0 ([03:47:30])
Motion: To approve Solar Power Purchase Agreements (Articles 30-34). [03:48:30]
Vote: 5-0 ([04:05:11])
Motion: To reconsider Article 4 for the purpose of zeroing out Select Board stipends. [04:06:07]
Vote: 1-4 (Golden in favor; Iaquinto, Canty, Quintal, Keohan opposed) ([04:23:20])
Public Comment
Kate Sekerak: Expressed concern over the “last minute” nature of healthcare cost increases in the budget and called for more transparent, monthly town manager reports. [59:06]
Heather Fillebrown: Voiced opposition to rapid residential clear-cutting and questioned the economic impact of the Plymouth Foundation on residents. [01:03:56]
Mr. Cook: Spoke in favor of raising Select Board stipends to the state median, arguing the current pay is among the lowest per resident for a town of Plymouth’s size. [01:08:34]
What’s Next
Budget Workshop: Select Board members Kevin Canty and Bill Keohan will partner to develop a formal budget oversight process and workshop, expected in March. [05:14:01]
Winter Energy Forum: Scheduled for Thursday, February 5th, at the Plymouth Public Library to help residents manage rising energy costs. [04:29:53]
Solar Implementation: Town meeting will vote in the spring to finalize the authority for the Select Board to execute the approved solar leases. [03:53:31]
Source Video: Plymouth Meetings: Local Seen Streaming Channel