In implementing the town’s fire service staffing plan, Waterford’s administration failed to include critically important stakeholders; the residents affected by the plan. The end result is improved townwide coverage at the expense of weekday daytime coverage for residents in the Goshen and Quaker Hill districts. 

The staffing model provides for weekday/daytime coverage in the affected districts using part-time firefighters signing up to work instead of full-time firefighters assigned to work. This approach risks shifts not being covered. 

The administration insists rotating available personnel will cover all shifts at all stations. While ultimately that may be, the fact is the Goshen and Quaker Hill districts have less weekday daytime coverage scheduled now than before the change was implemented. Reducing shift lengths from 10 hours to 8 hours results in an annual loss of 520 hours coverage at Goshen and 468 hours at Quaker Hill. This clearly isn’t improved service for those residents. In fact, these two districts alone bear the entire burden of lost service in order to implement the staffing plan. 

Singling out specific town residents in this manner is simply inequitable. We must do better. 

Glenn Patterson

Waterford