At the Annual Town Election on May 17, Hanson voters will decide on a $3 million Proposition 2 1/2 override.
As part of the override, the Hanson Fire Department is requesting $344,000 to add four additional Firefighters/Paramedics.
The Hanson Fire Department currently staffs four Firefighters/Paramedics per shift, and no staffing has been added to shifts since 2002, when the Fire Department went from three to four members.
The Hanson Fire Department is seeing a rise in call volume each year. In particular, the number of simultaneous calls is steadily increasing. In 2024, there were multiple calls 46% of the time there was a call.
The Fire Department already has less staffing than most area departments with a similar call volume, but due to necessary budget reductions, Hanson Fire will lose one full-time firefighter if the override is defeated.