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Fitchburg fire chief reports staffing strains, mandatory overtime and new smoke-detector outreach
Summary
Fire Chief Sarver told the commission May had 23 mandatory overtime shifts, average response times under six minutes, and described a Red Cross partnership that installed 88 smoke detectors across roughly 30–34 residences; the commission discussed staffing, overtime budgets and training.
Fire Chief Sarver reported to the Fitchburg Police and Fire Commission that the department saw a small upward trend in service costs in May but remains in line with year-to-date expectations as it contends with staffing shortfalls and mandatory overtime.
Sarver told commissioners most calls are emergency medical service calls and that the department recorded four structure fires in May — two kitchen fires and one deck fire — with minor burn injuries reported. He said average response times are "pretty much under 6 minutes," and that staffing remains the principal operational challenge.
"The number of mandates was 23 for the month of May," Sarver said, referring to mandatory overtime shifts. He attributed the mandate spike earlier in the year to a mix of paid-time-off patterns, attrition in skilled positions and a temporary injury to a driver; he expects some relief as interns complete training in June and July.
To reduce risk, Sarver described a one-day partnership with the American Red Cross that included door-to-door canvassing and scheduled appointments to replace smoke detectors. "We installed 88 smoke detectors, that affected 77 people," he said, noting the work targeted multifamily units, mobile homes and single-family residences. Sarver added two recent fire fatalities involved nonworking smoke detectors, a factor the department is addressing through prevention outreach.
On finances, Sarver said the overtime budget was exhausted earlier in the year and pointed to a prior-year overtime overage of about $194,000 that the city absorbed. He said some budget funds are tied to arbitration and back pay obligations, and the department has deferred nonessential outside training to offset costs.
Commissioners pressed for detail on where overtime savings might be found; Sarver and other staff said adding career positions would help reduce reliance on overtime and that the department is exploring hiring and scheduling changes. The commission approved, after a closed session, hiring a career firefighter from the eligibility list and authorized an intern hire if needed, and it approved starting a POX battalion chief hiring process.
The commission will monitor overtime trends and staffing outcomes as new hires and interns are onboarded.
