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Fire chief urges sixth position, highlights near-complete regional training center
Summary
Orem’s fire chief told a joint Orem–Linden council meeting that the department will seek a sixth staffed position in the upcoming contract to improve ambulance availability and described a new multi-building training center with 16 live-burn rooms and other revenue potential.
Fire Chief Mark Sanderson urged partner cities to consider increased staffing in the next fire/EMS contract so units can run more ambulances and maintain critical care coverage.
“We're just currently staffing all of our stations with 4 people on [an] engine and 2 people on an ambulance…My request…is to move to that 6th position,” Sanderson said, explaining the extra position would allow the department to run additional ambulances simultaneously. He also described the department’s critical-care squad as unique in the state and said specialized training and manuals have improved on-scene performance.
Sanderson highlighted a nearly finished training complex that includes multiple buildings and 16 rooms designed for live-fire training at temperatures up to 1,800 degrees. “We've actually predicted what's currently the responses in the lending environment…we can go train and mimic what we're actually gonna respond on,” he said, noting the facility could host national conferences and generate revenue while raising local training quality.
Council members praised recent fast responses and noted potential savings for residents if improved services lower ISO insurance ratings. Officials said any move to change staffing levels or contract terms would be discussed with partner cities to avoid cross-subsidies and ensure consistent levels of service across jurisdictions.
