Brooklyn Park Approves $224K for Additional Firefighters
The Brooklyn Park Fire Department is bringing on four new recruits amidst a staffing shortage.
Fire Chief Shawn Conway says it will help prevent burnout for the city’s full-time firefighting crew.
“Can our crews get that opportunity to leave and get some R&R, to reset, to be prepared to come back and perform at the highest level? That is why we need additional staffing,” Conway said.
The Brooklyn Park City Council approved a $224,000 budget increase for the fire department to hire and train four new firefighters.
According to Conway, the department has a dozen firefighters that are on medical or military leave. As a result, the budget for firefighters was maxed out, but the firefighters still on the street have been forced to work longer hours.
The Brooklyn Park Fire Department is bringing on four new recruits amidst a staffing shortage. Fire Chief Shawn Conway says it will help prevent burnout for the city’s full-time firefighting crew.
Instead of a usual 24 hour shift, some crews are spending longer stretches responding to calls. That can increase the risk for injuries.
“It’s requiring those who just finished a shift to often work a 48 [hour shift], or sometimes a 72 [hour shift],” Conway said. “That leads to fatigue, some people will use the term burnout.”
Lower staff levels also impact the department’s response time, and can limit the use of larger equipment when responding to calls.
Conway anticipates asking for additional funding for staff needs in the next few years. With new housing planned for the city’s northwest corner, more firefighters will be needed to respond to calls.
