Calcutta VFD looks into paid part-time staffing
ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP — Fire Chief Dave McCoy, Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department, asked trustees to allow the department to consider an additional levy so it can go from full volunteer to part-time staffing during Monday’s St. Clair Township Board of Trustees meeting.
McCoy told the trustees that the department has been researching and investigating the possibility of going to paid staffing to combat the staffing shortage experienced by departments not just locally but statewide and nationally.
After looking into the possibilities and speaking with the department’s legal counsel Mike Vigorito, they weighed the pros and cons of maintaining full-time employees and/or part-time employees versus volunteer and they would like to become a part-time paid department.
“Right now, we think the best thing is to stay small and go with a part-time staffing,” McCoy said.
By going part-time during the day shifts when most of their members are working, it would make sure there was coverage during the daytime hours when the department is the busiest with the least number of volunteers available.
McCoy asked the trustees to look hard at this matter with the department, and that the department is surviving right now because of mutual aid.
“Mutual aid, calling other departments is allowing us to staff these fire calls that we have doing the daylight hours because we might end up with one, two or three guys on a daylight call,” McCoy said. “Glenmoor might have one, two or three guys on the daylight shift, Liverpool Township, it’s the same from each department so they are doing the same thing.”
McCoy also said the department gets toned out more and that’s why the call volume has gone up more is due to providing mutual aid which is nice to have to combat manpower shortage.
Vigorito said a resolution was drafted to request a 3-mill levy for part-time paid fire personnel/EMS/ambulance and equipment which would generate approximately $526,000 annually. The department is also looking into soft billing for ambulance for EMS service for township residents which Vigorito said is pretty common across the board.
Soft billing means residents aren’t billed anything beyond what their insurance pays. There will be no cost directly for residents.
McCoy noted that his department is mirroring other local departments.
Board Chairman Trustee Robert Swickard asked McCoy what the staffing would look like.
McCoy said they would have to get certified people and seek applicants. The firefighters would work 10-hour shifts seven days a week. This would provide coverage until members who work other jobs in daylight become available.
“Things could change. We are still digging into what we need to do and how we should do it,” McCoy said. “We are basing it off of what these other departments are doing.”
Swickard said all the trustees commend all volunteer firefighters for a service that is invaluable especially when volunteerism is going down instead of up. He also said anyone who wants to join their local fire department to reach out to their departments.
“It’s a very difficult balance between what we all want to provide and what the residents are willing to pay for,” Swickard said.
Swickard pointed out that the township needs a road levy, and they have failed to pass the levy the past six times it was on the ballot, so he believes passing a fire levy would be tough.
“I know you guys take public safety very seriously and you want to provide the very best of every situation which is why we see you guys train all the time on so many different things… However, at the end of the day we got to pay for it.” Swickard said.
Swickard also said the money aspect is one part of and the second part is having the EMS coupled with fire service and having two departments with staffing issues and taking staff from those departments would cause a problem and that there would have to be public hearings for the public to ask questions. He also said he didn’t see how it would all happen in time to get it on the May Ballot.
Trustees James Sabatini voiced his concern over the inflation rate and property tax increase.
Trustee Jordan Williams said he believe they need to exhaust all avenues before they go to ask the taxpayers to pay more money.
Sabatini said the option to review their request with the fire department is acceptable so they can see how it affects the department and the township at the same time.
“We have to make sure we do our due diligence to exhaust all avenues,” Williams said. “I think to go to the taxpayers and ask them to pay for something they view as a need not a want you erode their trust, and they have all been very supportive of the services here in our township and that is the last thing we want to do.”
McCoy told the trustees that everything they mentioned had already been discussed and the people should have the voice on this. He wants to ask the people what they want through open meetings and such. He said ultimately it is about the township residents and whether they want it or not.
McCoy also noted that this is something where minutes matter and part-time staff scheduled at the station can respond much quicker than volunteers who need to be called to the station from home to respond to a call. A truck can get out in four minutes with staff at station then move than 12 minutes calling firefighters from home.
Vigorito will send a copy of the draft to the liaison between the trustees and the fire department, which would be Trustee Jordan Williams, and to the township’s legal representatives.
McCoy said in 2024 the department responded to 14 structure fires, nine car fires, 20 mutual aid calls, 18 brush fires, 36 EMS runs, 11 K-9/swift water/search and rescue calls, 49 motor vehicle accidents, one alarm drop, 160 public service/good intent calls with a total call volume for the year of 348.
McCoy also noted that the department added four state certified firefighters. They have two members signed up for the state fire inspectors training course which will allow the department to move into fire inspection, which they are not able to do currently. They have to turn to other departments or the state fire marshal for inspections.
The Calcutta VFD will hold its annual fish fry on April 18.
The township trustees adopted a resolution for certifying the township highway mileage at 70.620 miles.
Purchase orders totaling $27,465.17, a blanket certificate for $418,490.87 and bills totaling 96,367.27 were approved for payment.
The St. Clair Township Board of Trustees meets every other Monday at 4 p.m. at the township administration building. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27.
kgarabrandt@mojonews.com