Massachusetts first responders ready for emergencies on South Coast Rail thanks to new vehicles, equipment

Freetown, Massachusetts, November 25, 2024.On Monday, state authorities hailed the delivery of $900,000 worth of equipment they hope will never be used, flanked by the fire chiefs of seven neighboring villages.

In what will be the parking lot of Freetown’s MBTA Commuter Rail station starting next year, Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues, and Transportation Committee co-chair Rep. William Straus convened to showcase equipment that will assist fire departments along the South Coast Rail corridor in responding to emergency train-related incidents once passenger service begins next spring.

We know that there are a lot of woods in the middle of nowhere north of here, through Freetown, Lakeville, and Taunton. If something were to happen along that route, we needed to make sure that our first responders had the equipment they needed to get there, do what they do best, and respond to emergencies, Rodrigues said.

Passenger train service will return to Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford for the first time since 1958 when the eagerly anticipated MBTA commuter rail extension to the South Coast is anticipated to start operating in May. In a recent presentation to state bondbuyers, MassDOT stated that all six stations and both layover facilities have obtained certificates of occupancy, indicating that construction is almost finished.

The first phase of the $1.1 billion project will provide commuter train service from Boston to New Bedford, Fall River, and other neighboring areas once it is finished. According to state officials, the only significant cities within 50 miles of Boston without commuter train connections to the state capital are Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford.

Rodrigues backed and enlarged the $900,000 Straus offered as an amendment to a 2022 transportation bond bill to purchase the equipment, which included four utility task vehicles, at least one of which had an attached rescue wagon. According to Straus, the purchase, like many excellent ventures, began with a local idea and a conversation he had with Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts Secretary-Treasurer Billy Cabral and New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger two and a half years ago.

Bristol County fire chiefs were pleased and supportive of commuter rail’s expansion to this region of the state, Kruger told Straus, but they were worried that they lacked the necessary equipment to handle train-related emergencies, particularly in rural areas remote from roads.

Michael O. Brien, the fire chief of Lakeville, a community in Plymouth County that has a small section of South Coast Rail track, called Rodrigues after the House amendment for $900,000 for Bristol County fire stations made it to the Senate.

Senator, Lakeville is not represented in that piece of legislation, Chief O. Brien informed me over the phone. “Oh, you’re right, but it will be,” I replied. And it is, as this train route passes through Plymouth County via Lakeville on its way north, in addition to Bristol County.

Chiefs from Fall River, Freetown, Taunton, Berkley, and the Bristol County Technical Rescue team were present in Freetown on Monday, along with O Brien and Kruger.

The idea is straightforward: according to Kruger on Monday morning, every fire department along the South Coast Rail line now has the tools and trucks necessary to respond to train-related situations with excellence. All of our communities’ citizens could likely be impacted by a rail incident, and our fire departments will respond wherever we are required thanks to mutual help.

In order to have the necessary equipment on available before South Coast Rail service begins in the spring, Straus said Tibbits-Nutt was particularly helpful in expediting the $900,000 that the governor and legislature approved.

In response to his outreach, Tibbits-Nutt remarked, “I’ve got you covered.” Her remarks were straightforward, expressive, welcoming, and useful. And that money was released in a short period of time.

“I like seeing the state expand transit services to a new region,” the secretary added, framing South Coast Rail as part of the administration’s interest in regional equity. On Monday morning, she looked over the new cars and equipment that were being lined up to be divided up among the departments.

Before I spoke with the chief, I thought, “Wow, we only gave you $900,000.” Did you receive a coupon or other kind of discount? Because this is incredible. According to Tibbits-Nutt, it truly is. We should never have to utilize this equipment, I hope. In addition to ensuring that equipment is available for our rail service, these are the teams that respond to our calls for assistance promptly and without fail, whether it be in the event of a traffic accident, bad weather, or other emergencies.

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