Fire department outlines two‑person squad pilot and how it complements 4‑person staffing

Fire department leaders briefed the council on a proposed two‑person squad pilot and explained how squads and 4‑person engine staffing would work together to improve response reliability and effective response force.

Romeo, speaking for the fire leadership team, defined a squad as a light‑chassis, two‑person vehicle staffed by certified firefighters who are also emergency medical technicians. He said squads are intended to respond to both emergency medical incidents (which account for more than 60% of calls) and fire or rescue incidents, and that the units would be a lower‑cost, more nimble alternative to a full fire engine.

Romeo listed expected benefits: lower capital and operating costs relative to a heavy chassis engine (he compared approximate apparatus costs and fuel economy), improved EMS responsiveness, reduced CO2 emissions versus heavy engines, and increased geographic coverage because a squad can operate across multiple response districts. He described squads as complimentary to—not a replacement for—4‑person staffing, noting the two approaches address different problems: 4‑person staffing increases on‑scene personnel for tasks such as firefighter safety and medical care; squads provide additional apparatus availability and redundancy when engines are out of district.

Staff said a squad for Station 5 is included in the department master plan for fiscal year 2027 (not currently funded). Implementing a squad at that station would require two personnel per shift (six firefighters total) and is expected to be modeled and tested using the department’s Dark Horse predictive analytics to measure effects on effective response force, response reliability, and unit‑hour utilization. Romeo said the department will set benchmarks and monitor squad performance.

Council members asked whether squads were part of past contract negotiations; Romeo said squads and 4‑person staffing have been long‑term department goals and are complementary approaches. On NFPA 1710 compliance and insurance ratings, Romeo explained that the NFPA 1710 standard speaks to concentration and distribution of resources; staff said the city is rated a 2 by the Idaho Survey and Rating Bureau and that staffing levels factor into potential improvements that could affect insurance ratings.

Councilmembers also asked whether squads duplicate ambulance services. Romeo said squads are intended to complement county ALS transport by providing other configurations—some cities use BLS ambulances with separate advanced life support “fly cars” or squads—so the city’s squad model could evolve based on data. Romeo said Dark Horse can ingest partner agency data, including from Whitney, Meridian and Eagle, to support regional planning.

Staff did not ask the council for immediate budget approval; the squad for Station 5 is planned for FY27 and would be brought forward as part of future budget proposals.