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St John council hears fire-department equipment update as union urges paid paramedic training and staffing fixes
Summary
Fire Chief Shane Adams said new EMS monitors, automatic CPR devices and a new ladder truck are in hand and crews will train Feb. 11–13; the firefighters’ union told the council a conditional hire was told he would not be paid for paramedic school and urged the town to adopt a paid-training contract to address chronic understaffing.
St John — At its Jan. 28 meeting the St John Town Council heard an update from Fire Chief Shane Adams that new EMS monitors, automated chest-compression devices and a recently delivered ladder truck are in service or being upfitted, and that multi-day training is scheduled Feb. 11–13 with a goal of placing the ladder in service by Feb. 14.
"We have received all that stuff. That is all been trained on. It's on the ambulances, and it's in service," Chief Shane Adams said, adding that the new ladder replaces a 2005 American LaFrance apparatus that has been difficult to maintain since the manufacturer left the market.
The council also received a public comment from TJ Wilson, president of Saint John Professional Fire Department Union Local 5136, who urged the town to negotiate a contract that would pay firefighters for paramedic school and clinicals. Wilson told the council a conditional hire was presented a contract saying he would not be paid for paramedic classes or off‑duty clinicals and argued the training should be paid under federal wage rules and the town’s personnel policy.
"Being fully staffed gives us the best chance to make sure that everyone goes home," Wilson said. "Please don't play politics with the safety of the town, its citizens, or the fire department. We urge you to create a fair paramedic contract and get this person hired to start full time."
Wilson also said the department has been operating short by at least one firefighter "for the past 639 days," a figure he presented to illustrate ongoing staffing strain.
Councilors encouraged use of the chain of command and said the chief will report staffing updates to the council. Councilors and the town manager noted steps being taken to recruit and retain personnel; the council approved a first reading of Ordinance 18-90, amendments to the 2026 salary ordinance that include modest part‑time pay increases and an incentive for employees who meet a minimum hours threshold — measures described by staff as intended to help fill gaps while longer-term solutions are pursued.
Chief Adams reported call volume: "For the month of December, we ran a total of 166 calls total between fire and EMS calls," and said public feedback has been positive.
The council took no formal personnel action on the specific hiring dispute during the meeting; members instructed staff to continue discussions with the chief and to follow established personnel procedures. The council also approved motions to permit the fire department to sell two older apparatus (a 1994 Seagrave and a 2005 American LaFrance) to dispose of surplus equipment.
Next steps: training for the new ladder truck is scheduled Feb. 11–13 with the expectation the vehicle will be in service Feb. 14; the council advanced salary‑ordinance amendments on first reading and staff said they will continue negotiations and follow the chain of command on the conditional‑hire concerns.
