Consultants detail gaps, staffing phases and infrastructure needs in Consolidated Fire District 1 evaluation

Consultants from Emergency Service Consulting International on Wednesday presented a high-level agency evaluation of Consolidated Fire District 1 to the Douglas County Commission, identifying staffing shortfalls, equipment and facility needs, and recommending a phased approach to hiring and infrastructure investment.

The report, delivered by consultant Jeff Stone of Emergency Service Consulting International (ESCI) and project team member Joanne Lorber, reviewed department structure, service delivery, response performance and apparatus. “When somebody calls 911, there’s an expectation that somebody’s going to come,” Stone said, adding that response-time goals and staffing levels must be balanced against available funding.

The consultants recommended a three‑phase staffing plan the report describes as funding‑dependent: convert existing full‑time firefighters to 24‑hour shifts and hire two additional firefighters in an initial phase; add six more full‑time firefighters to staff two additional apparatus in the second phase (with suggested placements at stations 111 and 151); and add three more full‑time firefighters and a proposed operational chief or battalion chief in a third phase. Stone told commissioners the report’s…