Additional (3) Firefighter/Paramedics

The Coral Springs Fire department currently maintains a staff of 150 shift based personnel, fifty (50) per shift. These personnel are responsible for the staffing of eight (8) fire stations located in Coral Springs and Parkland. The department is requesting three (3) additional firefighters in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. The additional personnel would add one (1) firefighter/paramedic to each of the three (3) fire department shifts. The benefits to the department and the City are as follows: Increase the amount of personnel on particular units such as the busier units that are running heavy amount of calls for service. This would also decrease the needs for some of the busiest ladder and engine companies having to respond to medical calls for additional staffing. Having the suppression companies remain available will allow faster and more efficient responses in their respective response zones. One (1) additional person per shift will allow additional personnel to utilize their allotted accrued leave time for both vacation and comp time at a more consistent rate, which would greatly improve morale and efficiency within the fire department. Having one (1) additional firefighter/paramedic per shift would improve the functionality and efficiency of the fire department.