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Consultant says Norwood calls up 33% since 2020; recommends moving to 18‑person shifts and equipment upgrades
Summary
A consultant’s staffing study for the Town of Norwood found calls rose from 5,393 in 2020 to 7,154 in 2024 and recommends expanding each shift to 18 members, adding paramedic hires, a training officer and ALS equipment on engines; the board accepted the report and scheduled a January workshop to pursue funding options.
Jack Parro, the consultant who conducted a comprehensive fire‑department staffing study for the Town of Norwood, told the Board of Selectmen on Dec. 9 that total emergency calls rose "from 5,393 to 7,154" between 2020 and 2024—a 33% increase—and that the department has operated with largely the same staffing levels for two decades. Parro said the increase in calls, and in particular frequent concurrent calls, has strained the town’s ability to maintain safe crew sizes and timely responses.
"We did a five‑year look back...the calls from 2020 to 2024 had risen 33%," Parro said, summarizing the study’s central finding. Parro cited a Jan–Aug sample of 1,007 concurrent calls and described scenarios where multiple…
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