Letter: Olympia Fire Demonstrates Inadequate Staffing of AFD

The evening of Friday, November 7th, at 20:22 hours, tested the limits of the Amherst Fire Department when a major fire was reported at 47 Olympia Drive. Initial reports were dire, citing a building fully involved with explosions heard. Despite the severity, the Amherst Fire Department’s initial response was immediately strained – Amherst Engine 2 was the department’s sole career-staffed engine available to respond. Other on-duty resources were already committed: Ambulance 1 was at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield with a critical patient and three firefighters, and Engine 1 was committed to a call at Hampshire College in the south end of town. The crew of Engine 2, staffed by 4 career-firefighters, encountered a massive blaze upon arrival: a four-story building under construction was fully involved, with flames rapidly extending to the adjacent occupied five-story apartment building at 57 Olympia Drive. Engine 1 responded to the scene after clearing from their call with only two additional career firefighters, illustrating the extreme isolation of the initial crew. Due to the heavy fire load, the sheer size of the incident, and a limited water supply, the fire quickly consumed the apartment building.

While Local 1764 is profoundly grateful to report that no human life was lost, we must recognize that this favorable outcome was largely due to the residents of Olympia Place being able to self-evacuate. This incident serves as a critical warning, as our town includes numerous high-occupancy structures housing vulnerable residents with complex mobility and health needs. The facts are clear: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1710 recommends a minimum of 28 firefighters for the initial response to a fire of this size; the Amherst Fire Department initially responded with only four career personnel. This immense disparity is evidence that the Town of Amherst has been consistently gambling with the safety of both its residents and fire personnel. Had a single additional call pulled away any more essential resources on that busy Friday night, our initial response capacity could have been reduced even further, drastically delaying crucial aid and potentially transforming a close call into a genuine tragedy. A significant and immediate increase in staffing is the only way to ensure the safety standards our community deserves.

Amherst’s frequent need to deplete neighboring communities of their public safety personnel to manage incidents that the Amherst Fire Department should be able to handle is unsustainable and places unnecessary stress on the entire regional system. This recurring issue stems directly from town leadership’s refusal to prioritize public safety. While Town Manager Paul Bockelman recently stated that “No community can ever be prepared for this level of emergency,” Local 1764 has been advocating for safe and adequate staffing levels for decades, citing both national NFPA standards and independent studies paid for by the Town of Amherst itself. Year after year, these critical requests have been ignored, despite numerous presentations at Town Council meetings and direct communications with Mr. Bockelman. We are once again calling on Mr. Bockelman and the Town Council to immediately stop gambling with resident safety and finally make the Amherst Fire Department a priority by adding an additional 18 career firefighters to the department – bringing the department in line with national average staffing levels. Our community deserves better. We urge the public to contact your Town Councilors and the Town Manager directly and demand safe staffing for the Amherst Fire Department in the wake of one of the largest fires in Amherst history.

Sarah Forsaith

Sarah Forsaith is President of Amherst Firefighters Local 1764