Representatives from the Somerville Fire Department expressed concerns to the City Council over traffic calming measures implemented by the city.

By Harry Kane

Traffic calming devices are adversely affecting fire engines and fire trucks, says Mike Jefferson, President of the Somerville Firefighters Local 76, who addressed the City Council on April 23 with concerns.

“[There are] hundreds of speed bumps, flex posts, raised crosswalks, across the city,” said Jefferson. “The studies show that one speed bump can delay a fire response by 3 to 10 seconds.”

As a result of these traffic calming devices, the response times are slower, impacting travel times to medical emergencies or fires that could make the difference in saving lives.

Fire engines, on average, weigh 36,000 pounds and cost $1 million. A ladder truck, on average, weighs 70,000 pounds and costs $2 million. There are 10 fire companies in Somerville, including 6 engines, 3 ladder trucks, and a heavy rescue. In 2025, the companies had almost 16,000 calls.

Jefferson says the specialized vehicles or fire truck apparatus are not designed to constantly speed up and slow down, and go over humps or over flex posts. This is resulting in wear and tear on the suspension, brakes, and alignment on the trucks.

“Apparatus are being exposed to thousands and thousands of contacts with traffic calming devices a year, responding to emergencies,” said Jefferson. “The toll it is taking on our fleet is unprecedented.”

Flex Posts are extensively used in Somerville as part of the city’s Quick-Build projects and Vision Zero action plan. The plastic barriers protect cyclists and discourage illegal parking by narrowing lanes as an affordable traffic safety method for improving traffic problems.

“Flex posts are ripping lines from under our trucks. They are wreaking havoc on the undercarriage of our vehicles,” said Jefferson. “It has become a nightmare to traverse these streets in our trucks over the past few years.”

Jefferson explained that sometimes motorists mow down flex posts when getting out of the way of emergency responders.

The city has spent millions of dollars on apparatus for fire companies in Somerville, he said, urging city officials to make updates on roads to protect their investments.

The men and women who drive the trucks have provided input and have a firsthand perspective of the adverse effects the streets are causing to the trucks, and the increased difficulty of navigating through the city, he explained.

Jefferson acknowledged all the hard work the mechanics have done servicing and maintaining their fleet, and said the rapid rate at which trucks are going out-of-service may be a result of these traffic calming devices.

“There needs to be more consideration for our fire apparatus, and the men and women of the Somerville Fire Department, when drastic changes are being made to our city streets,” he said.

“It’s hard to hear this,” said City Councilor At Large Ben Wheeler. He said that the city needs to take more perspectives into account. “I really hope that we are going to make a shift to really taking this information as part of what is informing our decisions about our streetscaping, moving forward.”

Ward 4 City Councilor Jesse Clingan said he struggles with the balance between street safety for pedestrians and motorists and assisting in public safety by the fire department.

“In an urban city like this, and the amount of calls they get…the wear and tear that it’s putting on the trucks is definitely something we need to consider,” said Councilor Clingan.

The item was referred to the Public Health and Public Safety Committee for discussion.