The Hudson Board of Selectmen sent forward a warrant article that would hire four firefighters/ AEMT’s during the most recent meeting.
If approved the estimated tax rate impact would be 10 cents.
“The purpose of this warrant article is to increase the number of trained front line Fire and Emergency Responders in the Emergency Services Division of the Hudson Fire Department.
The Hudson Fire Department is looking to fund $527,686 consisting of $244,621 in salary, $254,913 in benefits, and $28,152 for uniforms and personal protective equipment for the purpose of hiring four full-time Firefighter/AEMT’s. With our continued growth in population and call volume, we still do not meet the minimum staffing level of NFPA 1710,” Fire Chief Scott Tice wrote in a memo. “This additional staffing will be the first step in implementing our long-term staffing plan that will coincide with our strategic plan that is in development.
Our most recent staffing increase in 2020 brought our shift staffing to 11 and was grant funded. At this time we are looking to increase shift staffing to 12 per shift.”
Tice explained that it’s primarily needed due to the increase in population, which is expected to lead to an increase in calls.
“As Hudson and the region continue to increase in population, it stands to reason our call volume will also increase,” Tice wrote. “We already know our current staffing level is not adequate for our current call volume. We have seen several instances where our response to fire incidents was reduced due to companies being committed to other calls. We have been fortunate that these incidents did not present any life hazards and appropriate and aggressive fire tactics by responding personnel were able to control these incidents.”
Tice explained that they have been looking at different ways to deploy its resources “in the most efficient manner to account for our increased workload.”
It was explained by Tice that they are “recommending that we hire four additional Firefighter/A-EMTs, as this will create a consistent staffing model of 12 members per shift 24/7/365.”
The staffing would consist of a captain, two lieutenants, and nine firefighters.
“This additional member will allow us to staff Engine-2/Ambulance-2 with three personnel,” Tice wrote. “This will increase the effectiveness of the company. It will also reduce the number of medical incidents the Squad will respond to with A-2, leaving it available to respond to additional incidents.”
He said that the plan would be to “reclassify four Firefighter positions to Lieutenant positions in the future.”
“This would give each shift a supervisor to be the hands-on leader of the company and allow the Shift Commanders to more effectively perform their duties,” Tice said.
In addition Tice explained that “adding these positions would be the first of a three step plan to increase staffing to 14 per shift.”
“This would allow us to dedicate a two-person company to an Ambulance which would be the first EMS unit dispatched to EMS incidents town-wide,” Tice said. “This would allow the Engine Companies to stay in service as Engine Companies for the first medical call. These Engine Companies would cross-staff additional ambulances for simultaneous medical calls providing the Town with better fire coverage and more total resources.”
Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Dillon Dumont said that it’s important to put the warrant article forward for voters to decide.
“I think it’s extremely important to put this forward to the voters,” Dumont said.
