Photos courtesy of The Rockland Fire Department
By Christine Oteri, Staff Writer
9/11/25
UPDATE 9/16/25- On Saturday, September 13, the vote for a new fire station was passed. According to
WATD, the vote won with 1154 in favor and 962 against.
Fire Chief Scott Duffey told The Veritas, "I would like to thank the voters of Rockland for their support and voting to approve the funds for a new station and ladder truck. These projects will increase the safety of town residents and the firefighters who protect them."
ROCKLAND- Rockland Firefighters are hoping the vote to fund a new fire station passes on Saturday, September 13.
Rockland’s current fire station, built in 1930 with an addition in 1978, does not fit modern firefighting standards.
The new proposed, modern station is estimated to cost $26.1 million, which would be $223 a year for the average Rockland resident.
When coming back from a call, Rockland firefighters have to put their equipment in the lockers of the fire station, and some of the lockers are located close to where the department eats their meals. Ventilation isn’t separate, which means they are sleeping in rooms where the polluted air is circulating.
Fire Chief Scott Duffey said, “There is no dirty zone to clean zone.”
Chief Duffey shared, “As firefighters, when we took the job, there was a risk of getting hurt… But what we didn’t know was that our living conditions, how the stations were designed, were contributing to us getting cancers, to us getting sick.”
The biggest issue the firefighters face is the lack of space.
Rockland Firefighter and paramedic, Patrick Sammon, said, “Due to the lack of space and the design of the building, when responding to a call, you may have to make several turns, squeezing between trucks to get into them to get out the door to respond.”
Rockland Fire Union President, Tom Henderson, agreed with Sammon about the lack of space and shared, “You have to take a lot more time to make sure you watch your steps.”
A main reason some Rockland residents don’t want the station is because of the tax increase.
Chief Duffey argued, “It's a large cup of coffee a week that we're asking people to pay for a new fire station.”
Signs are going up on the lawns of Rockland homes, some are supporting the fire department, while other signs read, “No means No.”
Chief Duffey recognizes the increase in taxes could be a consideration, but said, “Nothing gets cheaper. We're hoping people understand that we need this, and we're going to continue to ask. It’s not that we continue to ask to be jerks. We just need it.”
Rockland High School business teacher Mr. Jared Lordi is a Rockland taxpayer who agrees with the Rockland firefighters wanting a new fire station, and said, “I am for it.”
Mr. Lordi was even more on board with getting a new station when he was educated on the amount the taxes would be increasing.
“For the cost of just a few dollars a week, I’d be more than willing to sacrifice in order to reward and protect those who keep the citizens of Rockland safe,” Mr. Lordi said.
Rockland High junior James Levasseur said, “I think it is a very good idea. I think it will definitely help our firefighters more with any problems that they may have had in the old fire station.”