The Salem Fire Department followed suit with its fellow first responders Monday, requesting the Board of Selectmen consider increasing the previously set staffing plans and potentially renegotiate the Tuscan Village development agreement.
Both the police and fire departments have experienced decades of stagnant staffing, which department leaders say have caused longer emergency response times in Salem and more cases in which the fire department has to ask for assistance from neighboring towns. Police officials asked the board last week to double its previous plan for new officers, and the fire department asked the board to also reconsider firefighter staffing levels.
"Our shift commanders are often scrambling to staff our apparatuses with off-duty members... I get messages from my shift commanders that say, 'We reached failure point today.'