More Staff Included in Proposed Stoughton Fire Department Budget

STOUGHTON, MA — Stoughton Fire Chief Michael Laracy is hoping to start addressing the issue of under-staffing at the fire department with a new budget that includes more positions.

During a review of the department's proposed fiscal year 2017 budget, Laracy told the Stoughton Board of Selectmen that he's included four new firefighters in his budget and will aim to add more in the future. If the positions are added, it would be the first staff increase for the Stoughton Fire Department since the early 2000s.

“For about 16 years we haven't seen staffing increase even though we've seen a 22 percent increase in our call volume. If you were a business and you increased by 22 percent, depending on your business, you would have to increase your staff,” Laracy said.

According to the chief, communities that are similar to Stoughton have departments that are much larger, noting that Everett has twice the manpower and about 1,000 fewer calls. Norwood does about the same amount of calls, with a minimum of 14 people per shift. The Stoughton Fire Department is budgeted for 12 people per shift, but Laracy said he's never reached that number and at some points, was down to nine men due to injuries, vacations, and other absences.

On the mutual aid front, the chief said the town is on pace for 468 requests and and is starting to hear from local chiefs.

“I've been getting it from the area chiefs lately saying 'enough, we gotta do something.' They've been hitting me with that,” Laracy said.

In addition to the four men, Laracy announced plans to apply for a federal grant known as the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant to attempt to get funding for eight more firefighters and reach 15 positions per shift. If the town gets the 3-year grant, the federal government would pay for 75 percent of the cost of the firefighters for the first two years and 25 percent for the third year. If the town does not get the grant, Laracy said he plans to ask for four more men in the fiscal year 2019 and 2020 budgets.

Board members were supportive of the effort to increase the numbers at a department that's been understaffed for years.

“There's been a lot of talk about public safety but it's the action that counts and the board needs to take action,” Selectman Peter Brown said.

Members of the fire department have been vocal about the staffing numbers on social media. In September, Leon Silva, the president of Stoughton Fire Local 1512, released a comparison of their staffing levels and call volumes with similar communities in the area.

Town Meeting will vote on the budget in May.

Image:File photo