Plympton Fire Station Bids Due Mid-April Ahead of Town Meeting Vote

PLYMPTON — March 17, 2025 — Plympton officials briefed residents Monday on a new fire station project now out to bid, with a town vote required this spring. The Town Properties Committee reported that full construction documents are complete, bids are due by mid-April, and the project drew approximately 113 filed sub-bidders and more than 14 general contractor applicants during pre-qualification — well above the typical three or four general contractors seen on comparable projects. The project requires a two-thirds vote at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting and passage of a separate debt exclusion ballot question. Officials cited an 8 percent annual cost escalation trend and said the station that might have cost "$6 to 7 million" when the police station was built now runs "$12 to 13 million." A fire chief said 21 NFPA safety standards, including requirements for separated gear storage and post-fire decontamination showers, are expected to be adopted by Massachusetts sometime in 2025, calling the regulatory clock a key argument for acting now: "The OSHA rules are going to trigger us to either renovate this station or build a new one — and the new one is likely the most cost-effective way."