While Avon Lake’s Population Booms, Firefighter Numbers Remain Stagnant

The 2010 Census report information last week shows a marked increase in Avon Lake’s population over the past decade. And while the number of residents in the city increased 25 percent from 18, 154 in 2000 to 22,581 in 2010, the number of firefighters here remained stagnant.

“In 1997 we had 27 firefighters,” Bill Morris said. “That number was the same through 2009.”

In 2010 the city approved one “floater” firefighter to help alleviate overtime pay, increasing the manpower on one shift from the usual eight-man staff to nine and the number of personnel at the station to 28. Should one person call in sick, the floater replaces the need to call in an off-duty firefighter, who would receive overtime. The department’s two other shifts remain at eight.

Morris noted that while the number of personnel has remained almost the same, the run volume has increased approximately 60 percent.

“In 1997 there were 1,165 runs,” Morris said. “The total runs in 2010 were 1,961.”

The increase isn’t the only issue that concerns Morris. He noted that the station is seeing more and more instances where multiple calls are received at the same time, requiring two squads to be sent out.

said the Census numbers indicate that the situation needs to be addressed.

“Were getting a lot more incidinces where we have two or three calls coming in at the same time,” Zuber said. “Those are increasing in frequency. That’s something we’re going to look at. When you have so many more calls it’s going to generate more overtime.”

Zuber said the increased number of residents and senior citizens have resulted in the higher number of calls to the fire department.

What, if anything, will be done about the situation remains to be seen. The “Preuer Report” study conducted by John D. Preuer & Associates recommended in 2009 that a second fire station was needed in the city, a concept Morris supports. The report was commissioned by the city to determine if the fire department was adequately staffed, but was received by skepticism by some council members since the study was conducted by former firefighters.

“To be effective we need two stations in town and that requires more personnel,” Morris said.

That would most likely require 12 personnel between both stations in addition to the cost of the physical location, or locations if the city opted for two new stations.

That idea was approached by Mayor K.C. Zuber in 2010 and did not receive council support. Morris is realistic that a new station is not likely in the near future.

“Not in 2011,” Morris said. “It would probably require a tax levy and I don’t see anyone on council supporting that.”

Council members have said they would wait for the results of another study to see if regionalization would be a more cost effective option and to address the situation. The results of the second study expected in the upcoming months.