2020.01.13 Council Agenda Item 6

Over its 107-year history, Falmouth Fire-EMS has evolved from an all-volunteer fire company to a combination Fire-EMS department made up of six full-time staff, thirty part-time per diem firefighter/paramedics and firefighter/EMTs, and sixty call firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Of the call firefighters and EMTs nearly 1/3 of them reside outside Falmouth. The Department’s call volume and duties have also vastly expanded. These changes in staffing structure, including decreased availability of call members, increased call volume, and expanded services have resulted in staffing challenges for the Department.

In July 2019, the Town issued an RFP for a study of current and future Falmouth Fire-EMS Department staffing needs. The goal of the study is to determine the adequacy of current staffing and future needs for full-time, per-diem members (part-time), and paid-on-call. Town staff reviewed the four firms who submitted proposals and selected Criterion and Associates to conduct the study. The Fire-EMS staffing study is expected to be submitted soon and staff is preparing to present it to the Town Council at their January 27, 2020 meeting. In advance of that report, this presentation will review the Department’s current and past staffing structure and the related challenges facing the Department.