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Paris fire chief cites staffing strains, reports ISO upgrade to Class 2
Summary
Fire Chief McMonigle told the council the city’s EMS and fire divisions face staffing pressures, rely heavily on part‑time PRN workers, and together ran roughly 13,600 emergency calls in 2025. He announced the Insurance Services Office rating improved to Class 2, which could lower insurance costs for many residents.
Chief McMonigle gave the City Council an operational briefing on May 11 on the city’s EMS and fire services, describing staffing levels, call volume, fleet needs and recent cost savings.
“Right now we have 29 full‑time [EMS] personnel and 25 PRN positions,” McMonigle said, adding the department runs four 24/7 ambulances and averaged about 25 EMS calls per day in 2025 (about 8,800 calls). He said the fire division had 52 certified personnel across three stations and responded to 4,842 calls in 2025.
McMonigle told the council the department relies heavily on PRN (as‑needed) staff to cover days off, which creates scheduling instability and overtime pressure. To reduce equipment costs, the department introduced a squad response last April that uses smaller apparatus for lower‑acuity calls; that change cut monthly maintenance costs on older trucks from an average of about $10,100 to roughly $3,300 "since April to this time," the chief said.
The chief also announced the city’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification had improved to a Class 2 rating. “We have improved this to a class 2,” McMonigle said, noting the rating is split (2/2X) depending on proximity to fire stations and water supply and that many properties in the city fall within the five‑road‑mile standard. He credited the rating to coordinated work across fire, dispatch and public works.
Council members asked about options such as equipment leasing and station replacement; the chief said Station 3, built in 1965, will likely need long‑term replacement because it cannot house standard engines without costly customization. He also said expanding water supply and hydrant coverage remains important to maintain and extend the improved ISO classification.
The presentation provided the council with operational context that the city will use for future staffing, capital and budget decisions.
