by Following the fatal fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, the state fire union conducted a poll that found that almost all of Massachusetts’ fire departments fall short of national staffing guidelines.
According to the National Fire Protection Association’s guidelines, each ladder truck or fire engine should have a minimum of four people on duty. According to the poll, there are often less than 2.5 firemen on an engine and fewer than two firefighters responding on a ladder in Massachusetts.
Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, which represents thousands of firefighters from 217 local unions, carried out the survey. According to the survey, over 90% of departments do not fulfill the national staffing level, according to PFFM President Rich MacKinnon.
According to MacKinnon, the only localities that consistently meet the four-person-per-engine criteria are Boston, Brookline, and New Bedford. He blamed municipal budget cuts for public safety for the pervasive staffing problems.
MacKinnon told Boston.com, “We saw in Fall River what can happen when you’re not adequately staffed to standards, but Tirefighters do a great job with whatever staffing they have.” There is a purpose for these standards. It is substantiated research. There is evidence to support the need for four firefighters on a fire apparatus.
Ten persons were killed and thirty injured in the fire at Gabriel House, an assisted living home in Fall River. Investigators have determined that either an oxygen concentrator or a resident’s smoking materials were the origin of the fire, which they think was not started on purpose.
Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon and other first responders reported trapped occupants hanging out of the windows and yelling for assistance as flames erupted from the front door. Bacon also related how firefighters had to choose who to rescue after spotting faces in windows when they arrived.
According to MacKinnon, a Whitman firefighter, there wasn’t much staff that day. Only two of the ten trucks that arrived to Gabriel House had four persons on board. You would have had eight more firefighters on the site quickly to aid in rescue if those other eight had been staffed.
According to data released by the union, adequately manned engines are also up to 30 percent faster than teams of two people.
Boston.com was informed by MacKinnon that every second matters. Because things can change so quickly, it’s imperative that standards are met and that firefighters are on the scene promptly addressing any issues.
Governor Maura Healey promised Fall River $1.2 million to increase its public safety staffing following the incident. Additionally, her office said that $5.7 million was available to help eligible municipalities staff emergency responders.
The people who live in these areas should question the decision-makers: Why isn’t my fire department manned to the required level? MacKinnon stated.
Molly Farrar works for Boston.com as a general assignment reporter, covering topics such as politics, crime, and education.
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