Calls for firefighters and ambulances in Milton are up, and the volunteer fire department is struggling to cover them with limited staffing.
The city and town of Milton’s joint fire commission approved increased paid staffing Thursday night to help close the gap.
Under the new arrangement, the Milton Fire Department will have four firefighters “paid on premises” at all times.
Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes said Milton averaged 3.8 calls for service per day last month and had to rely on Janesville to help cover them, leading to longer response times for emergencies.
“Basically, the volunteer system is broken,” Rhodes said. “We’re struggling.”
He emphasized that the staff they have in place are dedicated and passionate, but the department just doesn’t have enough of them to fill the need.
Rhodes implemented the change earlier this month due to the increased need, and the fire commission approved adding a fifth paid firefighter for the weekends and holidays when calls for service increase.
The fire department still faces challenges staffing the paid-on-premises positions because they aren’t full-time, but the firefighters are still required to have significant training and certification for the job.
Rhodes believes they will eventually have to transition to a full professional fire department and could potentially consolidate with the Janesville Fire Department.
