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Weston officials say $600,000 referendum aims to restore firefighter staffing and reduce delayed responses
Summary
Village of Weston officials urged voters at an information session to approve a $600,000 referendum on the April 7 ballot to hire additional firefighters/EMS staff, citing a long decline in part‑time recruits, rising costs, longer apparatus lead times and measurable increases in delayed ambulance responses.
Village of Weston Administrator Jamie Gabbert opened an informational meeting on the April 7 ballot question and introduced fire and finance officials who described why the village is asking voters for a $600,000 levy increase.
Chief Josh Finke, who leads the district formed by the 2014 merger of Weston and Red Mountain departments, told attendees the department has "had a significant decrease in our part time staff," a trend he said mirrors statewide and national declines in volunteer and part‑time firefighters. Finke said the change forced the district to add more full‑time staff over time and that prior recruitment efforts and a federal SAFER grant application were unsuccessful.
Why it matters: Officials said staffing shortfalls have concrete consequences for emergency response. Finke cited department staffing levels (a maximum daily staffing of nine, a typical staffing of seven to eight) and said those numbers limit how many ambulances and fire apparatus the district can staff at once. "To…
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