Jul. 9 -- HUDSON -- The Fire Department's minimum staffing will remain at six despite Town Meeting's approval of a firefighters' union-backed petition article this spring to increase the staffing to seven.
Hudson Firefighters Local 1713 requested boosting the minimum staffing due to safety concerns and the significant residential and commercial growth in town the past few years.
The department's hours are divided among its 32 firefighters, who work four rotating 24-hour shifts. During regular fully-staffed shifts, eight firefighters work at a time.
That accounts for two lieutenants and six firefighters. But should firefighters call out sick, take vacation time or be off for any other reason, the department can operate shifts with at least six firefighters on duty at a time.
The minimum has not changed since 1988. The town's ladder truck is not in service when staff levels are at the minimum. Hudson relies on surrounding towns for its tower truck in such cases.
The ladder truck has been out of service 60 days since Feb. 12, according to the union's Facebook page. The petition article Town Meeting approved in May did not include money to increase the minimum staffing.
The estimated cost is $100,000 a year. Union President Jeff Chaves approached the Board of Selectmen July 1, the day the staffing level was set to be increased, to question the status of the staffing levels.
The union received a letter from the Board of Selectmen the following day. "A Town Meeting is a legislative body and does not have jurisdiction over the operational staffing of the Fire Department, which is an executive function," the board wrote. "While the Town Meeting can appropriate funds to the Hudson Fire budget, the expenditure of the funds is also an executive function under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator and Fire Chief.
"The Town Meeting, however, did not appropriate any additional funds for the Fire Department for Fiscal Year 2020. The Town Meeting vote is not legally binding on the Executive Branch and is merely an expression of the views of the Town Meeting. The Fire Department staffing decisions are made by the Fire Chief, subject to the budget and the collective bargaining agreement."
The union wrote on its Facebook page that the funding aspect was thoroughly discussed at Town Meeting. The union plans to bring forward another petition article at the fall Town Meeting that includes funding, said Chaves.
"Running at six is very unsafe," said Chaves. "The quality of care we can provide is diminished."
The town applied for a federal grant that would pay for an additional firefighter on each shift. Grant awards are expected next month, said Executive Assistant Thomas Moses.
The department desperately needs more firefighters, but hiring more will not solve the minimum staffing issue, said Chaves.
Even with nine firefighters on a shift, there could be situations where only six are on duty due to illness, vacation or injury, he said.
Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.
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