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Millis Fire Department reports steep call growth; requests staffing, apparatus and brush‑response upgrades
Summary
Chief Barrett told the Finance Committee the fire department saw more than a 30% year‑over‑year increase in calls and has done nearly 500 calls in two months; the department requested funding for staffing changes, a utility response vehicle (UTV) for brush/EMS access, ambulance replacement planning and radio/alarm system upgrades.
Millis Fire Department leadership told the Finance Committee on Wednesday that call volume has risen sharply, stretching staffing and equipment and prompting capital and staffing requests to maintain response levels.
Chief Barrett said the department saw the largest single annual increase in recent memory — more than 30% from 2023 to 2024 — and reported about 498 calls in the first two months of 2025. Fire leadership described multiple simultaneous incidents as an emerging stress point: while crews are committed to one call, additional calls frequently arrive and require mutual aid or delayed response from elsewhere in town.
The department requested a restructured administrative role (promoting a lieutenant to an administrative captain and backfilling with a firefighter/paramedic) as a lower‑cost alternative to creating an entirely new captain position. The chiefs estimated straight salary differences of roughly $75,000 for the combined change (promotion and new firefighter) excluding benefits.
Ambulance and revenue details were presented: the ambulance revolving fund currently supports about $882,000 of a roughly $2.3 million total public safety budget line, and ambulance revenue has risen substantially in recent years (presented as a 92% increase over five years). Chief Barrett noted that ambulance billing is mostly to insurers and Medicare/Medicaid rates vary; unpaid bills have a town appeal process.
Capital priorities included a multi‑use utility vehicle (UTV) for brush and off‑road rescue (the chiefs described 75 gallons of water capacity and EMS capability on such units), replacement planning for ambulances (estimated new ambulance cost cited in presentation was approximately $525,000), refurbishment options for Engine 5, and replacement of radio/alarm receiver systems that a vendor warned would be unsupported in two years (the replacement quote in the presentation was about $75,000 for two stations’ systems).
Chiefs also described the loss of nearby hospital destinations (increasing transport distances) and the need to order a replacement ambulance well in advance because build times are multiple years. They noted federal grant uncertainty (Assistance to Firefighters and SAFER grants) but said they are monitoring MEMA and FEMA guidance.
No formal vote accompanied the presentation. Committee members thanked the department and said they will consider the requests alongside townwide capital planning and revenue projections.
The department emphasized succession planning, mutual‑aid reliance, the operational strain of on‑call members, and the role of ambulance revenue in staffing and capital funding.
