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Staffing Options & Associated Costs
The primary challenge in achieving an adequately staffed Fire/EMS Department is the expense associated with paid personnel. However, when compared to similar communities that employ paid personnel, Branford Fire and EMS stands out as a leader in cost-effective services. For instance, the Town of Guilford, which has an equivalent number of paid fire/EMS positions as Branford, handles only 60% of our call volume. Additionally, our operating budget benefits from the revenue generated through ambulance billing, which offsets approximately 28% of our expenses.
Staffing Option 1 - EMS Division Model
Our preferred option would be to develop an EMS Division and hire emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who are not firefighters to staff two of our ambulances. This option would allow us to reallocate firefighter/paramedics to fire engines and have EMS only staff on our medical transport units. In this scenario, each ambulance staffed with EMTs would be able to handle all basic life support (BLS) incidents independently without the need to commit a firefighter. For higher acuity incidents, an engine with a paramedic would respond along with the ambulance to provide advanced life support (ALS) service. For an ALS incident, only one paramedic would drop from an engine for patient care during transport to the hospital on the ambulance. Our breakdown of EMS calls is 62% ALS, leaving 38% of our volume as BLS. This model keeps more firefighters available for fire incidents or other additional calls in our jurisdiction.
By hiring EMTs, our salary per person decreases by $42,372.00. These figures indicate initially hiring 16 EMT’s vs 12 firefighter/paramedics in Option 2, allowing us to add more staff to reach our goal in a shorter period of time. Additionally, the annual costs for continuing education for our paramedics is a substantial expense. Hiring EMTs that require less continuing education does not place an additional burden on our budget. The annual savings on recurring salary and training costs add up quickly, making this a fiscally desirable option over the long run.
Our framework also addresses flaws in a similar model in a nearby community. A neighboring fire department in our region has a model of EMT-only staff, but they are hourly employees with unequal benefits compared to their firefighter coworkers. This arrangement creates the potential for disparity between full-time career firefighters and EMTs working under the same roof. The result is unhappy employees with high turnover, harming the quality of care. By offering a competitive salary with the same benefits as our firefighters, that gap is closed, and we have a better chance of recruiting and retaining quality employees in a team-based atmosphere with a focus on providing quality service to our community.
There are hurdles to this option, however. First, this proposal will require an agreement with the collective bargaining unit as this addition of a new job classification has a direct impact on their work. Secondly, we would not be permitted to apply for the SAFER grant to offset these costs because the SAFER grant is designed to bolster the ranks of firefighters. This plan also includes a station in the eastern portion of Town. Eight firefighter/paramedics will be needed once the station is opened, creating an opportunity to utilize the SAFER grant.
Deployment and Fiscal Impact - EMS Division Model
Staffing Option 2 - Firefighter/Paramedic Model
Staffing Option 2 expands our department staffing utilizing our current model. In this scenario, every new hire is required to maintain certification as firefighter and a licensed paramedic. This plan requests the release of $250,000.00 from contingency funds to provide immediate relief through staffing a second engine at the Indian Neck Fire Station using existing staff from 8 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday. The next step is a commitment to hire 12 firefighter/paramedics to permanently staff the Indian Neck Fire Station full time in FY 2025. Concurrently, a fire station similar to the New Indian Neck Station would be constructed on a town-owned site at 32 Acorn Road to protect the east side of the Town. FY 2026 requests 12 additional firefighter/paramedics to staff that new station.
In the fiscal year 2024, our operating budget has received approval for $7,401,722.00. If we decide to incorporate 12 new positions, the projected cost today would be an additional $1,861,317.00. It is crucial to emphasize that this amount represents a worst-case scenario and is calculated using the highest pay rate for a full-time firefighter/paramedic and includes the most costly benefits such as a family health plan.
By obtaining funding from a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant, we have the opportunity to minimize this cost and distribute it across three budget cycles. It is recommended that we begin staffing immediately using current staff in FY 2024 with the money earmarked in contingency for this purpose. Subsequently, we can pursue a SAFER grant during the next available application period, which typically opens between
January and February. This approach enables us to optimize our budget allocation and secure additional resources through the SAFER grant to support our staffing needs. These additions, in concert with some redeployment of personnel, would provide a viable solution to our problem of adequate staffing and equity of service.
While firefighter/paramedics are the gold standard, they are challenges associated with this model. It is difficult to source quality firefighter/paramedics, especially for larger hiring
groups. The pool of candidates with these qualifications is small and the number of jobs available is large. Many municipalities are addressing the same challenges we are. Paramount, this model carries more cost. Firefighter/paramedics have a higher salary due to their level of training and responsibilities. Additionally, the continuing education required to maintain our entire department to the paramedic level is expensive. These costs compound annually and amount to a much larger burden on taxpayers as opposed to the EMS division model.
Deployment and Fiscal Impact - Firefighter/Paramedic Model
Learn More About Adequate Staffing
Read an excerpt from a report titled "GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM EMERGENCY SERVICES RESPONSE CAPABILITIES ANALYSIS," commissioned by the Branford Professional Firefighters Local 2533 in June 2016. The International Association of Firefighters prepared the report. While the current administration may not fully endorse all the conclusions and recommendations in the report, they agree with the following excerpt, which emphasizes the significance of a swift response from fire departments with sufficient resources to effectively combat fire growth. The complete report is also linked. Adequate staffing has been a long-standing discussion since 1997 (Appendix 6 - Branford Fire Department Study).
East Station - 32 Acorn Road
In both scenarios, placing career resources on the east side of town is essential to correct our gap in service to residents and businesses in this area. The Town possesses land at 32 Acorn Road that is both adequately sized and strategically positioned to accommodate the much-needed fire station on the east side of Branford. Once fully staffed, this station, along with the staffed Station 9 and Headquarters, would enable an equitable four-minute response time to approximately 90% of the developed areas in Town. An initial cost estimate for constructing an 8,400 square foot firehouse is approximately $3,780,000.00 and calculated at a price of $450.00 per square foot, which includes site work. It is important to note that this estimate is preliminary in nature.
Adding New Firefighters at 32 Acorn Road
The cost of staffing this station would be comparable to the staffing cost of the Indian Neck station with firefighter/paramedics as mentioned earlier. The specific estimated cost would rely on the contractual rates in effect during the hiring of new firefighters, as well as any potential increase in benefits cost. If the proposal is approved, we would strive to mitigate the initial financial impact by seeking another SAFER grant. This approach aims to secure additional funding to offset the costs associated with station staffing.
