Marshfield fire chief outlines staffing, response-time and infrastructure gaps; recommends new substations

Chief: The Marshfield Fire Department presented a multi-part briefing to the Public Safety Commission on department standards, response times, water supply and staffing needs, and recommended adding two substations — one south and one north — as part of a multi-year plan.

The presentation centered on the International/National standards the department used for comparison, including NFPA 1710 for career fire department deployment and an experimental NIST-linked study that compares crew sizes and task completion times. The chief said the study shows four-person crews complete fire attack 25% faster than three-person crews and 50% faster than two-person crews, and that many of the department’s interior operations currently use two-person attack teams.

Why it matters: The department said faster knockdown times, larger initial crews and closer station placement reduce fire growth and the risk of structural collapse. The briefing tied those operational effects to rising fire intensity nationally — faster flashover times driven by modern fuels and lightweight construction — and to local maps showing large portions of the city fall outside a 4-minute apparatus response window.

Key details and examples: The chief described specific apparatus and staffing constraints: the ladder truck is typically staffed by a single person; normal engine staffing often falls short of the officer/engineer/two-firefighter company model prescribed by NFPA 1710; engines carry roughly 1,000 gallons and ladder units carry 400–500 gallons, and a 1 1/2–2 1/2-inch high-flow attack will consume that water rapidly. He also described recent local incidents that exposed hydrant and supply issues, including a south-side property that lacks hydrants and a trailer-park fire that required about 1,200 feet of hose to reach the nearest hydrant.

The presentation listed components of an ideal initial response: an incident commander, an aid (radio/communications support), an engineer to manage water supply, a fire attack crew, search crews, ventilation team, rapid intervention crew and an aerial-truck operator. The chief highlighted communications limitations (two radio bands, UHF repeaters not always reaching dispatch) and equipment needs such as thermal imaging cameras.

Standards and regulations discussed: NFPA 1710 (deployment/crew size standard), NFPA 1582 (medical/mental-health-related fitness evaluations), ISO/Insurance Service Office scoring, and upcoming OSHA 1910 rulemaking the chief described as potentially transformative for fire service requirements.

Budget and implementation notes: The chief said meeting these standards will require phased planning and funding. He said some measures can be phased (training, updated SOPs, reporting), while adding substations, upgrading water infrastructure and procuring reserve apparatus are capital projects requiring budget decisions. He repeated that some changes will be costly and will require council and community decisions.

Next steps and timeline: The commission agreed to continue the briefing at the next meeting; the chief paused the presentation mid-way and will return with the remaining slides and supporting material. The commission asked staff to keep work on preplans, training, and ISO / water-supply issues moving while more formal cost estimates and schedules are developed.