Fall River Herald News Article

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Fall River Fire Department staff cuts could give city region’s worst ratio of firefighters to residents

Fall River firefighters are shown at the scene of a blaze on 18th Street in Fall River on Jan. 8. The fire department is facing substantial staff cuts unless the city can again secure a federal SAFER grant. Fire officials say the cuts could affect response times to fires.

Herald News Photo | Dave Souza
Jo C. Goode
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Mar. 4, 2014

FALL RIVER — If Mayor Will Flanagan moves to slash the Fall River Fire Department’s staffing by one-third, the city could have the worst firefighter-to-population ratio in the region.

The Herald News used data from 2012 census estimates and newspaper reports to compare the city’s fire department with the communities of New Bedford, Brockton and Taunton.

With a current staffing level of 213, the Fall River Fire Department covers the city’s 40 square miles with its 750 streets and 255 miles of roadway.

The fire department has currently one firefighter to every 418 people.

With Flanagan’s proposal to cut 60 firefighters — leaving a complement of 153 — that ratio rises to one firefighter for every 581 people.

Compare that to New Bedford, which has a higher population of 94,929 but which covers 24 square miles, a little more than half the coverage area of Fall River.

With the New Bedford Fire Department having 235 firefighters, the city has the lowest ratio, one firefighter to every 404 people, of the cities examined.

The Brockton Fire Department, with a staff of 184, has a ratio of one to 511; and the Taunton Fire Department’s 120 firefighters give the city a one-to-467 ratio.

 

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