Fitchburg Fire Engines Cut to Three

Starting July 1, Fitchburg’s fire engines will operate with three firefighters instead of four to avoid costly overtime—part of a tough budget fix after a failed voter referendum that would’ve funded six new hires. With the city already over its overtime budget and facing a $200K shortfall, Fire Chief Scott Sarver confirms crews are still fully prepared to respond safely, backed by national standards and local data. City leaders call this a temporary measure while exploring funding shifts, new revenue, and even merging fire and EMS services. Residents won’t notice any changes in how calls are handled. Mayor Julia Arata-Fratta admits it’s a hard call, but insists public safety remains a top priority—with hopes of adding two more staff by 2027. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ddb843fc365944d2