William Sylvia, president of IAFF Local 841 New Bedford Firefighters, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the fight over a planned closure of Engine 9 in the North End of New Bedford, Mass.
Sylvia, a firefighter for 20 years, described how the city went from announcing a budget surplus to projecting a $32 million deficit within months and how the city council, a state senator, the governor and the Locals’ own advocacy responded.
Sylvia also discussed staffing, response times and what he said happened when engines were taken out of service in 2019.
- Sylvia said the New Bedford Fire Department has more than 200 members, nine apparatus and a contract-mandated minimum of four personnel per apparatus. The department answers 15,000 to 18,000 calls a year in a city of more than 100,000 people. National incident reporting data show that since 2020, New Bedford has had more fires per resident than Boston.
- Sylvia said the city announced a surplus of about $14 million to $15 million in October 2025, but then projected a $32 million deficit in May 2026. He credited the city council, a $500,000 state Senate amendment from Mark Montigny and $1.3 million from Gov. Maura Healey with keeping Engine 9 open, though he said the state money still has to pass the House.
- Sylvia said the Local filed an unfair labor practice charge after its public information requests went unanswered, and that an investigator found cause to proceed with a complaint. He also said the mayor wants to go after the four-person minimum and described two fatal fires in 2019 that he said occurred while nearby engines were blacked out.
A Firefighter's View of New Bedford
William Sylvia, president of IAFF Local 841 New Bedford Firefighters, said he has been a firefighter for 20 years and still loves the job. The department has more than 200 members and nine apparatus, six engines and three ladder trucks, and their union contract requires at least four personnel on each apparatus. Sylvia said that minimum protects residents and gives members the backup they need.
According to Sylvia, the department answers 15,000 to 18,000 calls a year in a city of more than 100,000 people located between Boston and Providence. He described old mills and congested housing that date to the 1700s, a regional airport, a commuter rail line and the largest fishing fleet on the East Coast. He said the Local reviewed National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data back to 2020 and found more fires per resident in their jurisdiction than Boston and more structure fires than Worcester.
Sylvia on Staffing and a 2020 Closure
Sylvia said staffing is a constant struggle, with about 200 members working 24-hour shifts across four groups. This type of schedule can lead to burnout, he said. The city closed an apparatus right before COVID in 2020 after deciding the department did not need 10. The result was an increased workload for everyone who was left.
Sylvia on the Budget Reversal
Sylvia said the city administration announced a surplus of between $14 million to $15 million in October 2025. Then, in May 2026, the mayor's budget showed a $32 million deficit/ The Local Union never received a straight answer about the change, he said. In Sylvia's view, the Local believes the mayor put the deficit out to scare people and squeeze them to get what he wanted.
Following the deficit announcement, the city proposed cutting Engine 9 on the far North End. According to Sylvia, that one engine covers about 20,000 residents and more than 4,000 students, plus a commuter rail line, an assisted living center and a neighboring industrial park with hazardous chemicals. He said fires double in size every 30 to 60 seconds because of synthetic materials in homes, and a room can flash over in three to five minutes. Fewer members and a longer response time would put residents and firefighters at greater risk, he said.
Sylvia on the Council, the State and the Funding
Sylvia said the city council has supported the department. He presented fire data at a council safety meeting, including more than 20 rescues and more than 15 deaths over the last few years. The mayor was called to the meeting, but he did not attend. He said the council identified about $1.8 million in budget cuts and asked the mayor to approve the plan, but the mayor refused.
According to Sylvia, state Sen. Mark Montigny secured $500,000 in the state budget, which he said bought time because the mayor had planned to close the engine in June. He said the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts then secured $1.3 million from Gov. Maura Healey, earmarked for the fire department, to prevent at least 26 members from leaving. Sylvia said the money still has to be approved by the House, but the Local sees it as a go. He credited protests, public calls to the mayor and media interviews for building the pressure.
Sylvia on Records Requests and the Mayor
During the budget fight, the Local sent numerous public information requests to the city through its attorney and received no response. That led the Local to file an unfair labor practice charge. He said an investigator found cause to go forward with a complaint, and that an independent investigator with the Department of Labor Relations found the city violated the law when it closed Engine 11 in 2020.
The mayor has been in office about 14 years. He will be up for reelection next year, but has a large campaign war chest, Sylvia said. The option to recall an elected official was removed from the city charter. The mayor has put the Local on notice that he intends to pursue changing the union contract to make setting minimum staffing a managerial right, and the Local has discussed options with its attorney.
Sylvia on Blackouts and Response Times
Sylvia said that before 2020, the mayor imposed 24-hour rolling blackouts, shutting down an apparatus in a different part of the city on different days and times. He described two fires in 2019 when nearby engines were blacked out. In October, he said a ladder truck arrived without water at a fire about six blocks from the blacked-out Engine 8. Firefighters rescued an elderly woman, but she later died. In December of ‘19, Engine 7 was blacked out when a fire broke out about five blocks away, Sylvia said, and a man pulled from the building later died. Those people might still be here today if help had arrived faster, he said.
The department can usually reach a scene in three to four minutes, Sylvia said, but a closed apparatus can double the wait or more. After the 2019 fires, Sylvia said the mayor ended the blackouts and permanently closed Engine 11. Another attempt to close an engine was fought off, he said.
The Local will continue to advocate for and publicize the facts throughout the community and among its members. More information is available on the IAFF Local 841 New Bedford Firefighters Facebook page.
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