Members of the Lawrence Firefighters Union Local 146 rallying against the new proposed dispatch center they would share with Lawrence Police. Photo: Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts
LAWRENCE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Saying there will be more protests to come, the Lawrence Firefighters Union was out on the picket lines for the first time last Friday, voicing opposition to the new combined dispatch center proposed for the new Lawrence Police Station.
Union members have been protesting against the proposal for about a year now but decided to take the issue more directly to the public with the informational picket.
About a hundred people showed up for the protest held out front of the Lawrence Fire Department's headquarters.
The president of the Lawrence Firefighters Union Local 146 Daniel Sirois said his union members appreciated the public support at the protest. "Cars were going by, honking the horn, waving, all that stuff," he said.
Union members are angry over the decision to move their fire-only dispatch center from their longtime location on Bodwell St. to the new proposed location they would share with the police department.
Sirois said they oppose the move for several reasons including the new facility lacks the essential amenities union members always had. "We have our communications center, we have a kitchen, we have a workout room, bathroom facilities with a shower in it. We work 24-hour shifts. This is our home away from home," he said.
Sirois added another issue is having to share dispatch space with a very busy police department. "This is a police department that handles 60,000 calls a year," he said. "Lawrence is a chaotic place for police. So now you're putting us in a room with them. It's not going to be a cool atmosphere."
The new combined dispatch center is scheduled to open next year.
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.