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Stow council approves two new firefighters after officials cite rising call volume and overlapping incidents
Summary
After presentations showing overlapping incidents and a projected rise above 6,000 emergency calls, Stow City council voted to authorize hiring two firefighters immediately to reduce overtime and improve ambulance availability; chiefs said more hires will be evaluated for 2026.
Stow City council voted on June 26 to authorize the immediate hiring of two additional full‑time firefighters after fire department leaders warned that call volume is outpacing the department’s existing staffing model and that overlapping incidents are increasingly leaving the city with no in‑town units available.
Fire Chief Stone, Assistant Chief Lang and Captain Troy Acker presented year‑to‑date figures showing rapid growth in emergency calls. The department reported about 5,524 calls in 2024, said Lang, and projected more than 6,000 calls this year with trends pointing toward roughly 6,500 calls next year. Year‑to‑date (as of the meeting) the department had recorded 2,966 calls, of which 2,006 — about 68% — occurred while another unit was already on a call (an “overlapping incident”). Chief…
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