3.25.2026 New Fire Truck Unveiling

Good afternoon everyone. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Kimberly Smith. I'm the executive director of United Way of Greater Fall River and it is my privilege to welcome you here today on this beautiful spring afternoon.

The sun is shining down on us and we are just happy to have you all. We're gathered here today with our first responders, city officials, and community partners to make a to mark a major milestone in Fall River's recovery from the July 13, 2025 Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility Fire.

This highlights both the region's coordinated emergency response and a significant new investment in public safety.

The fire at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility occurred on the night of July 13, 2025, resulting in the tragic loss of 10 individuals, serious injury to 30 residents, and the ultimate displacement of all survivors.

According to a report from the Fall River Fire Department released in October of 2025, many factors created critical challenges for the department, including safe, reliable communication and breathing apparatus for every first responder to protect them from smoke and hazardous atmospheres. These items are the backbones of effective emergency response.

In response to this challenge, Stacy Charlton met directly with Chief Bacon to identify how the trustees for the IDA S. Charlton Charity Fund could assist with a direct gift through United Way of Greater Fall River Rivers Disaster Response Fund.

Chief Bacon identified a multi-purpose trailer or vehicle to transport and secure essential emergency response equipment along with portable radios and self-contained breathing apparatus, also known as scuba devices. I was of course thinking about swimming, but he corrected me.

The investment in this equipment would immediately improve response times through the safe transportation of equipment, enhanced situational awareness and communication among firefighting crews, and increased firefighter safety and health protection, reducing risk of injury or fatality.

Ultimately, our community resilience would be improved by shoring up our emergency preparedness and response capacity.

Without hesitation, Stacy then turned to us, United Way of Greater Fall River, a longstanding trusted partner of the Charlton family, to coordinate the grant application as part of our Gabriel House Disaster Relief Fund.

Coupled with donations from partners across all sectors and community members alike, many of you who are here with us this afternoon, we raised just shy of $150,000.

100% of those proceeds went to assist with the efforts put forth by key partners like the Red Cross who assisted all residents with case management. St.

An's Hospital Brown University Health who stepped up to do emergency triage that night of the fire. The Tomo Center who provided emergency shelter until all residents could be rehomed. and Catholic Charities who collected oodles, and I mean oodles, of donations of clothing and gift cards and so much more to help residents get back on their feet. At this time, I'd like to ask representatives of the Red Cross, St.

An's Hospital, Catholic Charities, and the Tomato Center to please step up and be recognized for taking action and helping our community recover. Barbara Tracy Lisa Melo from the Tomato Center. Sheila Chassis. Yes, if you could come forward.

There you are.

And you want to just stand right in front of the Just stand right in front of the podium.

American Red Cross. Barbara, for you.

Thank you. Just stand right in front of the podium.

Tracy.

If you could all just gather right in front really quickly.

Please join me in giving these fine folks a round of applause.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Today we are proud to mobilize the resources that we were able to uh gather and collect through the Gabriel House Fund that was established pretty much the next day after the fire happened. We have a check. Where's our big check?

Where's Oh, here we go.

In just one moment, we will have a check in the amount of $112,500 to present to the Fall River Fire Department for the purchase of Here it is.

There you go.

There he is.

Thank you.

You can take that.

Want to step over there first? Maybe photo up.

There we go.

There you go.

try to get that through the ATM.

I just want to share that $100,000 of this grant came from the Charlton Charity Trust and a $12,500 match from our disaster response fund uh was put towards it to help the city uh cover the purchase of the truck and the Cascade System components to ensure that our community has what it needs to be prepared to meet the challenges of today's emergency landscape.

Also just want to point out to you that the truck is here today. It is the vehicle that is right behind us and Chief Bacon would be happy to uh give you a tour and let you touch a truck for those of you who never got to do that as a child. Can live your dream today. Um it does say new Ipsswitch Fire Department on it. And I'll let Chief

tell you a little bit about um just the right place at the right time and how this what was going to be a trailer or some type of a vehicle to carry equipment became a full-fledged truck and so much more. And so at this time I'd like to turn it over to Chief Bacon to unveil and explain the new fire truck.

Take that off.

You want I'm going to lean it up here. I was going to put it in my pocket but didn't really make it. So, um, as you all know, July 13th was, uh, the among the darkest days in the history of the Fall River Fire Department for many reasons. Um, within two weeks, I was contacted by Stacy Charlton and we we met personally and had a a really candid conversation about what may what might have made a

difference that night for not just the residents of Gabriel House, but for the firefighters who were on scene that night. Um, without a doubt, uh, um, the ability to have a recall vehicle was something that we had been considering for quite some time as a I was a district chief in the city of Fall River for 10 years before I before I was, uh, promoted to chief. And my role there was

as the incident commander, and there was nothing more terrifying than watching SCBA bottles disappear from the scene after they were put to use and not knowing when they were going to get filled and come back. Um, this truck that you see behind me will fill 30, 40 bottles. We haven't tested it yet, but it'll fill a significant number of bottles so that no district chief will have to have that feeling going forward.

Um, the original thought was once we found out how much we were going to uh be getting and and the incredible generosity of Stacy Charlton and the United Way, um, $100,000 doesn't get you much, unfortunately, in the real world of firefighting. Um but we were committed to do the most that we could with it with the goal of just getting that capability to fill bottles. Um, my training chief, Dave, uh, Dave Banville,

uh, contacted a gentleman that used to work for the fire department that worked for Bulldog Fire Apparatus after, and they were building a similar vehicle to what we were looking for, and it was in Hopkins, Mass, and then it was in Westport. And both times we missed going to see it. So then he said to me, can I take a road trip to New Ipsswitch, New Hampshire, because that's where it's

parked. And I said, absolutely. So he and the captain drove up to New Ipsswitch and got a tour of this beautiful new truck with this Cascade system. And the chief of New Ipsswitch said to him, "What are you guys looking to do?" And he explained to him who we were. Um he knew about the Gabriel House fire and he said, "Well, we have a truck that's in perfectly good working order

with a cascade system in it that um was just tested and certified. And the only reason we can't use it is because it doesn't carry water. It's a small community. they can't afford to have a vehicle that doesn't carry water. So, we said initially said, "We'll give it to you." And I and that's when when uh Kim says the right place at the right time and things happening for a reason. Um we

negotiated up to $15,000 after he talked to his town council. But, um that purchase for a truck that has that capability, the Cascade system is $80,000 alone. So for us to be able to purchase that through new IPS switch to get a truck that's 20 years old but has very few miles on it hasn't really traveled very far. It's something that we're going to have for this department for a very long time. It's not only

going to provide us with the funding with this check that we got today um with the ability to fill tanks, but we've purchased SCBA units, eight SCBA units that will be housed on this truck.

Um eight radios, eight um hand lights.

So, as firefighters show up to a scene, if they don't have their gear, we'll be able to properly fit them with everything they need to go into that building safely. Um, the impact that this truck will have on the community of Fall River and the safety of its first responders cannot be measured. Uh, once we get this truck on the road, and it's not a lot to see, I'm more than

happy to show it to you, although that wasn't in the contract, Kim. Um, but since I'm holding this check, I guess I can't say no. Um, I'd be happy to show it to you and and it's more right now in the this is what it will be very soon. We're waiting for all that equipment to come in so that we can properly stock it. We're probably going to take the new IPS switch name

off of it and put Fall River on it. Um, but it will be called recall one and it will start serving the city within a month as soon as we can get it out there. um firefighters will train on it and it will become a valuable resource from the day that we put it in service.

So um I can't thank Stacy Charlton and the Charlton Family Trust and the United Way for not only recognizing the need, but for um for working so quickly and I know we're we're standing here a little more a little more than eight months since the Gabriel House, but if you know government at all, this is rapid speed to get something to the point that we're at. So, thank you all for being here

today. Um, and I cannot express to you how grateful we are to be holding this check and to be standing in front of this vehicle that's going to make such a difference for us. So, thank you.

Great job.

Chief Bacon and I are now best friends.

We're actually texting. We're on text level now. So, um, you have my work phone. You don't have my personal phone.

Oh, now he tells me. Now he tells me.

Um, I'd like to now next turn it over to Mayor Kugan for final remarks and then uh invite you all to join us to touch the truck.

Um, obviously we're all very proud of the for fire department and getting a truck like this to complement their their equipment is very very important.

Uh, the day of the Gabriel House fire and the day that followed were the worst days of my time as ever of being a mayor. I you can't imagine what it was like down there. the stressful situation, the chaos, yet the combined efforts of everybody working like clockwork to get things done was also something to behold. Um, I know that the Far River Fire Department with a piece of equipment like this can complement

their services across the city of Fall River. We appreciate the Charlton Foundation and all the people who contributed to this fund to help the city. These are the kind of partnerships that make the city function better, save the taxpayers money, and strengthen our public services, especially public safety in this regards the far department. So, thank you to all who contributed. Thank you for coming out

today. And now, I hope you get a chance to look at the truck. Thank you.

Thank you.

I suppose we should uh offer up a moment to take any questions.

Yes, the chief just the real just wondering what was the total amount um that we got this truck.

The truck was purchased for $15,000 from Newipuch New Hampshire. Um but we will we will spend every penny of this and more to and slightly more to equip it.

We're already at $100,000 in equipment.

Relax.

But I mean, wouldn't you agree the city could chip in a little bit over the No.

Uh, lots of but no, every penny of this will be spent on this vehicle. Um, we could and we will continue to invest in this vehicle in future years to to make sure we'll learn what what more it needs and make the changes as as we as we figure that out. So, and just to kind of explain this, when when firefighters are refilling um their breathing apparatus and during the Gabriel House fire, did they

have to come back to the station to do that or So, at the Gabriel House, we have So, um years ago, we actually had a truck with the capability to do this, but that's been out of service for 15 years. Um so, currently, our mechanics with the pickup trucks that you see here will respond to the scene. They will take the bottles, bring them to a station to be filled,

and then bring them back. Um, we do have the typical scene has 40 or 50 bottles, spare bottles on it already, but when you have 30 firefighters going in and out of a building, those bottles empty faster than you can imagine. So,