Hadley Fire Department Begins Hiring After Tax Override Restores Funding

The Hadley Fire Department has begun accepting applications as the town works to restore full staffing after funding returned through a newly passed tax override, according to a July 15 report by Western Mass News.

The department was accepting applications for the staffing effort, with interviews tentatively scheduled for July 29, 2026. The target start date for new hires was Sept. 1, 2026.

The schedule places about five weeks between the planned interviews and the anticipated start of employment. Because both the interview date and hiring timeline were described as tentative or targeted, they represent the department’s planned next steps rather than completed hiring.

What the funding changes

The staffing effort follows the return of funding through the tax override. That funding is intended to support the department’s move toward full staffing, linking the town’s tax decision directly to the personnel needed for fire and emergency response.

For residents, the change concerns emergency-safety coverage as well as the cost of local government. Restored staffing could improve Hadley’s emergency coverage, while the tax override means residents will pay for the service through the town’s tax structure.

The Western Mass News report did not identify the final number of positions to be filled, the amount of the tax override or the vote tally that approved it. The application process therefore marks the start of the staffing effort, not confirmation that all vacancies have been filled.

Separate equipment investment

Hadley’s fiscal year 2026 Capital Improvement Program lists a separate $1,312,500 ladder/platform truck project for the Fire Department. The town plan identifies the project among its public-safety capital needs and funding commitments.

The truck project and the staffing effort address different parts of the department’s operations. The capital plan concerns a major equipment purchase, while the tax-override funding is supporting the return of personnel funding. The equipment listing does not establish how many employees the department will hire through the staffing effort.

Together, the two actions show separate town commitments involving Hadley’s fire service: one for equipment and one for staffing. The immediate hiring milestone was the tentatively scheduled July 29 interview date. If the schedule held, the department was targeting Sept. 1 for new hires to begin work.