Plainville Fire’s New Six-Person Shifts Increase Department Efficiency, Reduce Overtime Costs

PLAINVILLE — Chief Richard J. Ball is pleased to announce that the Plainville Fire Department’s newly implemented six-person shift structure has increased department efficiency while reducing overtime costs.

At the Town of Plainville’s June 2023 Annual Town Meeting, voters approved the fire department’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which allows for six-person staffing levels during every shift. Following this vote, the department staffed its first-ever six-person shift on July 1.

As part of a six-person shift, the Plainville Fire Department has a captain, lieutenant and four firefighters staffing every shift. With this staffing level, the department has the ability to send firefighters on an engine and ladder or tanker to a call while two firefighters remain at the station and can respond to any other calls that are received. Prior, the department’s five-person shifts staffed one engine and an ambulance while only one firefighter would remain at the department for other calls.

The new staffing structure allows for the proper equipment to be brought to a scene in a more timely and safe manner. Approximately 15% of the west side of Plainville does not have fire hydrants, so having additional firefighters on a shift makes it easier for the department to bring out its tanker — in addition to another vehicle — to a scene to be used as a water source.

Additionally, the increase in staffing levels saves the department and town money as it allows for reductions in needed overtime staffing, especially related to nighttime differential.

In Fiscal Year 2021, the department cut its staffing levels from five firefighters to four per shift due to budget constraints. During this time, the department was well below industry standards as the National Fire Protection Agency mandates that 17 firefighters respond to a structure fire within the first 10 minutes, then 27 firefighters in total.

From Fiscal Year 2020 to FY21, the Plainville Fire Department had a 478% increase in mutual aid callouts to cover ambulance calls when the department dropped its second ambulance entirely. During FY21, 220 mutual aid ambulance calls were given away, whereas in the year prior the department only gave away 46 mutual aid ambulance calls. In FY21, 6.5% of Plainville Fire’s calls were responded to by mutual aid partners.

When the department brought back its second ambulance and five-person shifts in FY22, mutual aid callouts dropped to 4%. When five-person shifts were fully established in FY23 the department dropped to only requesting that mutual aid partners respond to 2.7% of its calls.

The department’s overall run volume increased by 21% from the beginning of FY21 to the end of FY23. It is projected that with six-person shifts, the department will further reduce mutual aid callouts and have quicker response times.

“With our new six-person shifts, our department is operating at a level that allows us to serve our community and mutual aid system more effectively, doing so in a manner that’s safer for not only our firefighters, but our community as well,” Chief Ball said. “We now have the ability to staff more apparatus and decrease our mutual aid callouts, while simultaneously saving taxpayers money. We are thankful to everyone who supported us during this transition and we look forward to seeing even more positive impacts now that our new staffing levels are in place.”

Added Town Administrator Brian Noble, “Several years ago our fire department was severely understaffed due to budget constraints. With the assistance of our town departments and voters, we have not only increased staffing levels, but have done so while balancing out a budget and reducing staffing costs.”

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