Fire Service Staffing
With fewer recruits and rising retirements, departments like East Hartford are turning to costly overtime and mutual aid to cover growing staffing gaps
The Keene Fire Department will have more firefighters to staff ambulances in response to increasing EMS calls
The Chippewa Falls Fire & EMS Department is back to full strength, thanks to strategic hiring efforts, a voter-approved referendum and new incentives aimed at attracting firefighter/EMTs
FireRescue1 readers share when they joined, what “ready” really means, and why leadership, mentoring and mental health support matter
Ill. voters to decide on 131.95% fire district tax rate increase for ambulance staffing
What it takes to do the job right when you don’t have the people, the time or the margin for mistakes
Facing the loss of an $800,000 federal SAFER grant, the Templeton Community Services District voted to keep two full-time fire engineers on staff
Rural crews in Buchanan County are juggling growing emergency demand, fewer available responders and limited funding
Clovis officials say a SAFER grant will help fund six new firefighter positions starting in March
All eight members of Roanoke Fire-EMS Recruit Academy 25-2 entered with EMS certifications, allowing an abbreviated 17-week academy ahead of expected retirements
City officials say the latest graduating class brings Troy’s fire force to full capacity, with continued investments in training
Once plagued by “a staffing nightmare” Carroll County Fire and EMS now maintains full coverage through strategic planning, paid staffing models and firefighter support
A multi-department merger forming the South Madison Fire Territory will take effect Jan. 1, adding full-time staffing, hiring dozens of firefighters and medics
A new analysis recommends hiring more firefighters and rethinking cross-staffing practices at the Anne Arundel County Fire Department
Our 2025 walkaround breaks down the year’s controversies and triumphs — and opportunities for growth in the new year
Grand Blanc Township trustees voted to add a full-time firefighter as fire officials cite safety concerns following a deadly church shooting and fire
Facing the challenges of a volunteer model, the Orwell Fire Department is hiring part-time firefighters to ensure consistent two-person staffing
Four more Harvey firefighters were laid off, leaving the department operating at less than half its former strength
A proposed move from a 24/48 to a 24/72 schedule is gaining momentum after more than 86% of surveyed Lubbock residents backed the change
Union leaders and Bethlehem residents are urging officials to add firefighters after an IAFF study found staffing below NFPA recommendations and response times short of national benchmarks
Chronic understaffing left only one engine available when a massive fire destroyed two Amherst apartment buildings, causing heavy reliance on mutual aid
Tazewell County leaders, with backing from local fire chiefs, are proposing a part-time, paid department to strengthen mutual aid, improve training and modernize fire protection
Fresh off reinstatement, Fire Chief Jamie Jent proposed adding four full-time firefighters to improve response times and keep pace with a 56% rise in calls
To save $1M a year, the Folsom Fire Department will pull the engine at Station 38 and reassign crews, leaving an ambulance to operate from the station
The federal grant will help Rocklin expand fire staffing and prepare for a fourth station to meet growing emergency service demands
The Grand Blanc Township board reinstated Fire Chief Jamie Jent following controversy over fire department staffing and budget cuts raised before the Sept. 28 church attack
SAFER, AFG funds will help the Fullerton Fire Department restore ALS, reduce response times and launch a wellness program
Engine 9’s launch marks a major expansion for the Santa Rosa Fire Department as calls surge and plans advance for a new station to better serve growing neighborhoods
Somers officials approved funding that covers most staffing costs for two years and part of a third, with recruiting underway