MATTAPOISETT — It was standing room only at an April 23 Selectmen’s hearing on plans for construction of a new fire station.

All those who spoke favored the project.

The town meeting will be asked to approve the $9.275 million project on May 13. Plans are to fund it outside of tax-limiting Proposition 2-1/2, temporarily raising taxes until money borrowed to build the station is repaid.

The proposed two-story building would be built on County Road adjacent to the existing Mattapoisett Police Station.

The facility will include decontamination facilities for firefighters, vehicle exhaust systems, a firefighter dormitory, department offices, conference and training rooms and a public lobby with toilets and a display case. Also included will be an indoor training facility and fitness room for firefighters and a “waiting room” complete with kitchen and dining facilities for on-call firefighters.

The current station was built in 1951 when the town’s year-round population was 2,265. Since then, the population has more than doubled to nearly 7,000, increasing the need for more workers and emergency services, explained Fire Chief Andrew Murray.

Resident Chuck McCullough commended the Fire Station Committee for its efforts to develop the project plans.

“I am a proponent of the new fire station, always have been,” said McCullough, “I give credit to the chief, and to the firefighters, to the Board of Selectmen for taking moneys that we approved at past town meetings to patch the fire station.” Now, he and others agreed, it’s time for a whole new building.

Firefighter Justin Azbill expressed concern about health and safety issues at the current station.

Murray agreed, noting that the current fire station has no diesel exhaust extraction chamber for toxic fumes emitted by engines idling in the garage. And the current station doesn’t have provisions to decontaminate fire fighters when returning from a call on which they were exposed to toxic substances.

Addressing the dormitory, Murray said the lack of adequate living quarters makes it difficult to find full-time 24/7 firefighters, and said one firefighter left after a day because he had to sleep on concrete. 

Fire Station Building Committee Chairman Michael Hickey said he worked on developing the plans for the new fire station since last summer.

“It’s been more work than I thought but it’s something the town needs in a big way,” said Hickey.