Staffing shortages at West Carrollton fire stations are causing brownouts, or temporary closures.
The lack of staff is largely due to the city’s inability to retain part-time firefighters and paramedics, West Carrollton City Manager Brad Townsend said.
“With a lot of people retiring and the demand for firefighters and paramedics and all of the overtime that other departments are having to work their people, we’re struggling to keep a full complement going,” Townsend said.
“And we’ve had to brown out stations, which we don’t really want to do,” he added.
Brownouts impacting both of the city’s fire stations have been occurring for months – the vast majority involving medic units at Station 56 - and affecting response times, records show.
In the past year, both Stations 56 and 57 have experienced brownouts for all service, but those shutdowns total fewer than two days, West Carrollton records show.
Fire department staffing is the focus of a work session today after the 6:30 p.m. West Carrollton City Council meeting at the civic center at 300 E. Central Ave.
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