Lancaster County fire commission backs 24/7 pilot at McDonough Green and asks council for multiyear funding plan

The Lancaster County Fire Commission voted to send its proposed multiyear staffing plan — starting with 24-hour coverage at the McDonough Green station — back to individual volunteer stations for review and a roll-call vote before formally presenting the proposal to County Council on March 12.

The plan, which the commission says is a recommendation to council, would create a phased three-region staffing model that begins with a single full‑time staffed station at McDonough Green and adds additional staffed stations in later budget years. The commission’s presenter said the first four‑month pilot would cost an estimated $108,418.52 to add a captain-level position and related engineering conversions, with larger recurring costs in subsequent years if the full multiyear model is adopted.

Commissioners said the proposal matters because it addresses daytime coverage gaps caused by volunteers’ daytime work schedules and aims to preserve volunteers’ role while adding paid staff where needed. Commissioners and staff also stressed that apparatus funding — a long-running county priority — must be considered alongside staffing because trucks and equipment remain aged and in high demand.

The Fire Commission presenter, identified in the meeting as a fire commission staff member, laid out the staffing model and budget math: a 24‑on/48‑off shift schedule (the same schedule used by the city of Lancaster), adding a captain position that would allow engineers and lieutenants to be reorganized into full‑time teams, and staging later phases in FY2026…