MARION — Tri-Town firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel will be able to receive the vaccine in Marion starting next week. 

Town Administrator Jay McGrail announced at a Jan. 5 Selectmen’s meeting that Marion has been approved as a covid vaccine clinic, and will begin inoculating first responders next week.

First responders from Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Wareham are eligible for the vaccination, which will be distributed at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center starting Monday.

“We’ve trained with our flu clinics we’ve had,” McGrail said. “This is the first step in us being able to vaccinate the public in our communities.”

The vaccine will be administered by Public Health Nurses and staff from the Tri-Town and Wareham.

“It will be a combination of the staff from all four towns,” McGrail said.

He said there are around 400 eligible first responders in the Tri-Town and Wareham, all of whom will have to make an appointment to receive the vaccine.

Public Health Nurse Lori Desmarais also updated the Board of Health at a Jan. 5 meeting on plans for the vaccination clinics.

“We’re still working out some of the specifics,” she said, adding that it will be a drive-thru system similar to the flu clinics held in the fall.

“They’re going to be using the big tent over at the community center, with appropriate heating,” noted health board chair Ed Hoffer. “We got 400 [doses], which was our request.”

Hoffer added that they estimate around 360 first responders will get the vaccine. “It’s very difficult to predict exactly,” he said. “We should have at least adequate cover for the people who show up.”