Billerica Fire Chief Previews North Billerica Station, Brush Fire Pre-Planning Push

BILLERICA -- March 17, 2025, Billerica Fire Chief Bobby Cole discussed station construction, brush fire preparedness, and new hires in a Town Hall Weekly interview aired March 17. Cole, who has led the department since 2018 and is approaching retirement, said the completed Pinehurst Fire Station, built on its original footprint, breaking ground in 2020 and operational by end of 2021 despite COVID-related supply chain disruptions, produced lessons the department will apply to the planned North Billerica station, which a prior departmental study identified as the higher-priority replacement. On brush fires, Cole announced the department will shift its 2025 focus to internal pre-planning, mapping remaining brush areas within Billerica rather than relying on regional task forces. Three new firefighters started March 10 and are expected to attend the state fire academy in August, leaving a roughly five-month on-the-job training window.