Fire Station No. 9 in the North End of New Bedford may be closed due to budget cuts. This should concern EVERY resident of the city.

Our firefighters are already working short-staffed, and closing a North End station would increase emergency response times in one of the busiest and fastest-growing parts of New Bedford.

Why this matters:

🚒 The city continues to grow rapidly, with more families, businesses, and housing developments moving into the area every year.

🏫 Fire Station No. 9 is surrounded by multiple schools (Ashley, Normandy, Voch, St. Marys, and Alma del Mar) meaning hundreds of children and staff rely on fast emergency response every single day.

🚆 The new South Coast Rail / commuter rail station less than a mile away will bring increased traffic, population density, and emergency service demands to the area. As New Bedford expands, cutting emergency resources makes absolutely no sense.

💰 Residents have also seen taxes continue to increase in recent years, with many being told these increases were connected to development and infrastructure improvements surrounding the train project. Yet many long-standing members of this community feel they have experienced little to no meaningful benefit from these changes, and now, instead of seeing improved city services, we are facing the potential loss of critical public safety resources.

⏱️ In emergencies, minutes matter. Delayed response times can cost lives, homes, and businesses.

This is not just about firefighters, this is about public safety, accountability, and protecting the people who have supported this city for decades.

📢 There is an upcoming city budget meeting this Wednesday (May 13) at 6pm where discussions surrounding funding and city services are expected to take place. Community involvement and public pressure are critical RIGHT NOW.

PLEASE contact your Ward Councilor and all City Council members immediately and let them know you oppose the closure of Fire Station No. 9.

New Bedford Ward Councilors: 

• Ward 1 - Leo Choquette

• Ward 2 - Scott Pemberton

• Ward 3 – Shawn Oliver

• Ward 4 - Derek Baptiste

• Ward 5 - Joseph Lopes

• Ward 6 – Ryan Pereira

📢 Community member Sharon Smith has started a petition to help prevent the closure of Fire Station No. 9 and needs 2,000 signatures in support of keeping the station open.

Please sign, share, attend the meeting, and speak up before decisions are made that could permanently impact public safety in our city.

New Bedford deserves growth WITH public safety, not growth at the expense of it.