Fire department dangerously understaffed

Fire department dangerously understaffed

By: John Rook , Staff Writer

09/29/2004

Branford- Despite the hiring of a new fire fighter over the summer, officials stated last week that The Branford Fire Department remains dramatically understaffed and unable to adequately respond to a large incident.
During this years budget process the department asked for two additional fire fighters to be added to their budget. The Board of Finance recommended that only one be hired in the coming months but when the Representative Town Meeting met in May members cut that additional fighter, leaving the department with no new staff.
During that meeting Fire Chief Jack Ahern chastised RTM members for cutting the additional fighter, suggesting that they were putting the tax rate above the safety of its citizens.
After holding a special meeting to discuss the issue the RTM decided to approve the new position, but the process convinced Ahern and others that town officials were not aware of how the department operates.
"I think most people don't think of the fire department until they are calling 9-11," said Ahern. "It is our responsibility to educate the powers that be of how the department works. I think then we can have an appreciation for what is necessary."
On average most fire departments have at least four men assigned to one fire engine at any one time. Branford has only two fighters assigned to an engine.
Volunteers are available during nighttime hours but, because most have full-time jobs, they are not available during the day.
For Fire Commissioner David LeCroix, who was appointed to the commission in May, the idea of only two fire fighters responding to a major incident is extremely distressing.
"I have a little boy at Sliney Elementary School and they have an old furnace down there," said Lecroix. "What happens if a fire starts and only two individuals are able to respond? What are they going to do? I think that anyone who has a child in the school system here in town should be concerned about this."
LeCroix, 49, became interested in safety issues after 9-11 and had expressed a desire to be a part of either the Fire or Police Commissions in town. After being appointed in May, LeCroix was impressed with the leadership at the department but was quickly made aware of how dire the staffing situation was.
"What really got me was, one day, when I was having a conversation with Chief Ahern and he told me that, if a major fire occurred during the day, they would not have the people to respond to it," said LeCroix. "I started thinking about all the condominium complexes in town, and the schools, and it really go me thinking about what needs to be done."
The department has two shifts with six fighters working on each shift, with many of those being trained medical personnel. Part of the problem, according to both LeCroix and Ahern, is that the town receives about 5,000 emergency calls per year, most requiring medical attention. Ahern stated that the department receives about 10 medical calls per day and that the average time to handle a call is 90 minutes.
With 900 minutes of work time required to respond only to medical calls, most department personnel are unavailable to respond to major incidents.
"My major concern is if a large incident were to occur in town. Whether it be a fire or a chemical emergency we would not be able to mitigate that situation, especially in the early stages of the incident," said Ahern.
Ahern also pointed to fiscal concerns for the town as the department was forced to call on emergency personnel from Guilford last year because of the high volume of medical calls. Those incidents cost the town $900,000.
LeCroix suggested that the need is even more pronounced since the town is growing. With more residential complexes planned, and a new business district proposed just off of Exit 53, the need for more emergency personnel will only rise.
"Being a fireman today is not what it used to be," said LeCroix. "Now, you have Amtrak that runs through town, you have I-95 and you have all these new technologies that you have to train for. The Branford firemen are highly trained, highly specialized individuals but there needs to be more of them. There needs to be at least nine men working per shift."
But getting those men will not be easy. All new positions must be budgeted for and then approved by the BOF.
While BOF members recommended the filling of a new position this year they stated that a new strategic plan needed to be in place by the next budget season.
"They suggested we come up with a long term strategic plan and that is understandable," said Ahern. "That is what we are moving towards right now and we will have that for them the next time around."