Middleboro: Selectmen to decide on fire department grant

Monday night, Mddleboro selectmen plan to decide whether to accept more than $2 million in federal grants being offered to the Fire Department.

The money would allow the department to start working toward a town-run ambulance service.

Last Monday, fire chief Lance Benjamino pitched that idea to selectmen and the Finance Committee, saying he plans to hire 16 additional firefighter-EMTs.

Their first two years of salaries would be covered by the grant, and chief believes the service would ultimately be able to sustain itself through the ambulance fees it would collect.

 The additional staff would also allow the reopening the long-shuttered fire station in north Middleboro and keep the sometimes-closed station in south Middleboro open full-time.