I am an Amherst native. I grew up in these neighborhoods, and after spending more than 30 years away, I moved back home a year ago. It has been wonderful to see the ways Amherst has invested in itself during my absence. The high school has grown, a state-of-the-art Police Station was built, and Town Hall was beautifully renovated. Today, I see the cranes and construction crews working on our new elementary school and the expansion of the Jones Library.

But as I walk past our current Fire Department headquarters, I see a glaring omission in our town’s progress.

For decades, I have followed the Fire Department’s attempts to secure a facility that is safe, modern, and functional. Time and again, the department has been told to wait. While we have prioritized education, administration, and literacy — all noble and necessary causes — we have consistently pushed our first responders to the back of the line.

Our firefighters and EMS personnel provide a level of service that is second to none, yet they do so from a building that has long outlived its adequacy. This isn’t just a matter of comfort; it is a matter of public safety infrastructure.

The town is once again in a “site investigation phase.” To many long-time residents, this feels like a recurring loop of bureaucracy designed to delay the inevitable cost of construction. However, the funding landscape for 2026-2027 offers real tools that the town must pursue with relentless tenacity:

Community One Stop for Growth: This state portal opens again in May. Programs like MassWorks are designed for exactly the kind of infrastructure and site-prep Amherst needs to break ground.

Federal earmarks: U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern has a proven track record of bringing public safety dollars home to western Massachusetts, including a recent $1 million award for Princeton’s public safety building. Amherst’s fire headquarters must be a top-tier priority for our federal requests.

USDA Rural Development: While Amherst’s size makes grants competitive, the USDA’s low-interest loan programs for Essential Community Facilities are a vital tool to mitigate the impact of a local debt exclusion on taxpayers.

I understand the “debt ceiling” concerns that keep municipal leaders up at night. But a town is only as strong as its ability to protect its citizens. We cannot continue to renovate our “want” list while our “need” list — the literal life-saving apparatus of the town — is housed in a substandard facility.

It is time for the town manager and the Town Council to stop investigating and start executing. We must aggressively seek out every state and federal dollar available until this project is fully funded.

Amherst’s first responders have been patient for 30 years. They shouldn’t have to wait 30 more. Let’s make the Fire Department headquarters our next definitive “yes.”

Jeremie Meyer lives in Amherst.