Fire chief seeks two additional firefighters and funds for paramedic training, vehicle maintenance

Fire Chief Mike Cranston told the Finance Committee that the department's call volume increased about 5% in recent years and requested funding for two additional firefighters, plus operational increases tied to training and vehicle maintenance.

Chief Cranston said firefighting staff are all at least EMT-level certified and the department is expanding paramedic capacity because paramedics provide advanced life-support skills. He described an ongoing effort to incentivize firefighters to attend paramedic school and said the town provides program costs and compensation increases for those who complete paramedic certification.

The personnel request would bring two shifts up to 10 firefighters (currently most shifts have nine), improve coverage for simultaneous calls and reduce reliance on off-duty callbacks. Cranston said the department has about 3,400 emergency calls annually and a separate fire-prevention office handled roughly 1,100 inspections last year.

Operational requests included funds for equipment and uniform outfitting for new hires, increased training costs and a $10,000 request for preventative vehicle maintenance to address aging apparatus while the town waits for new engines and ladder trucks ordered in prior years. Capital items included replacing a 2002/2015 fire-prevention vehicle and installation of suspended bay heating to protect ambulances and medications during cold weather.

Committee members asked about wildfire and water access preparedness and Chief Cranston described mutual-aid relationships with state forestry resources, land bank assets and off-island support as part of the island's wildfire response plan. He confirmed recent recruitment success and noted housing assistance had helped retain new hires.