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Council hears fire and police chiefs on staffing as calls surge; chiefs say state EMS mandates met but NFPA benchmarks not always
Summary
Fire Chief Byington and Police Chief Davis briefed the Syracuse City Council on staffing, response trends and retention; the fire department meets state EMS mandates but does not consistently meet NFPA apparatus-staffing recommendations, and police officials flagged retention and lateral hiring as concerns.
Syracuse Fire Chief Byington and Police Chief Davis briefed the City Council on staffing, call volumes and operational challenges as council members sought information ahead of upcoming budget and work-session discussions.
Fire: Chief Byington told the council the department currently meets Utah Bureau of EMS mandated staffing levels for ambulance and paramedic response "100% of the time," but does not consistently reach NFPA-recommended staffing for fire apparatus. He said the department budgets for 12 firefighters on shift (11 full-time plus one part-time position) and that gaps occasionally force the city to take Engine 32 out of service as a last resort. Since Station 32 opened in late June, Byington…
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