In 2019, an ambulance cost the company $295,000, but now, according to Fitzgerald, a 2025 model will cost the company $425,000. He said apparatus costs have almost doubled since covid. The town has impact fees for other services, but not for public safety. Fitzgerald said impact fees could pay for equipment costs. Berlin must keep up with those pay scales or lose people to those companies.Īs the population of the Berlin service area expands, so too do the needs for fire and EMS services.Īn example is the Oceans East development, which turned an empty field into 732 residents.įitzgerald said the company writes an impact report for every development that outlines how many more emergency calls can be expected. Add the meetings, training time and other duties, like keeping the engines and the fire house clean and cared for, and washing equipment, and it can be hard to find people who can balance that with a full-time job and a personal life, according to Fitzgerald.įor the paid positions, the company tries to be competitive with Ocean City and Salisbury, where personnel have unions with collective bargaining. The Berlin Fire Company answers about 400 fire calls a year. “But with 24 hour shifts, it’s a whole different lifestyle,” he said of the 24 hours on and 72 hours off EMS shifts. “It’s a good career if you want to serve the public,” Fitzgerald said. The time commitment is intense, according to Fitzgerald, who said these personnel are required to undergo hundreds of hours of fire and EMS training. While the company only has one position open at this time, Dave Fitzgerald, the president of the fire company, said it’s hard to recruit volunteers firefighters and EMS staff. The Berlin Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services consists of 55 fire and rescue volunteers and 16 EMS career positions.

But challenges in staffing and funding continue to make providing that service difficult

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