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Millis fire chief urges $83,000 to boost on-call overnight coverage amid surge in calls
Summary
Fire Chief Barrett told the Select Board that call volume has surged to 2,567 last year, with 610 concurrent calls, and asked the board to fund $83,000 to pay on-call personnel for nights and weekends as a more affordable alternative to hiring four full-time firefighters.
Fire Chief Barrett opened his fiscal 2027 presentation by outlining current staffing (one full-time chief, four lieutenants, 12 full-time firefighter/EMTs and eight on-call firefighters) and explained how ambulance/EMS revenue funds many positions.
Barrett said the department—s call volume rose sharply over recent years, noting "over the last 7 years, our call volume has increased by 82%" and that last year the department answered 2,567 calls. He emphasized concurrent calls were a particular pressure point: "Of our 2,576 calls, 610 times that happened" (a second or third call while units were already committed), which strains the ability to staff ambulances and initial fire response.
To address overnight and weekend gaps without the long-term cost of multiple full-time hires, Barrett proposed paying on-call members for overnight coverage (Saturdays, Sundays, Fridays and nights), estimating an additional $83,000 in the on-call budget (from a current call budget of $100,000 to a proposed $183,000 to cover gear, training and more hours). He said that hiring four full-time firefighters would cost about $500,000 once benefits and equipment were included and that funding the overnight on-call coverage could prolong the department—s operational sustainability.
Barrett also highlighted capital needs, including replacement SCBA bottles and packs (end-of-life cycles) and future ambulance replacement planning (two-year delivery windows).
Why it matters: The department presented concrete data tying staffing choices to public-safety response capability and proposed a near-term, lower-cost approach to keep ambulances and crews available for concurrent calls.
What happens next: The request will be part of FY27 budget deliberations; the board and finance committee will weigh the on-call funding versus possible full-time hires and capital replacement timing.
