MISSOULA — The City of Missoula Fire Department wants to keep up as the Missoula keeps expanding.
That's why the Missoula Firefighters Union is asking city officials to put a levy on the ballot to address staffing shortages.
The fire department is looking to add another station and 20 more firefighters, which would help with response times.
This would be paid for by taxpayers, but because of population growth — firefighters say it's not a matter of if the changes will happen only a matter of when.
It's been 15 years since the fire department has been able to add crew members. In that time span, calls for service have doubled — moving from roughly 6,000 calls annually in 2008 to 12,000 calls currently per year.
Many of those calls come in at once, which puts a strain on service abilities.
Missoula Firefighters Union President Andrew Drobeck detailed how the simultaneous emergencies impact response times.
"One of our busier districts out by Costco, they get a call, so their engine goes out, and then immediately there's another call in the same district so then the Downtown engine goes out, and then immediately there's another call in the same district and so [Mount Avenue] engine goes out. So, now you have the entire Northside committed to calls."
Drobeck continued, "If something happens up the rattlesnake then the only engine that's available is on 39th street then they gotta go all the way across town. We're seeing that on a daily basis."
Firefighters also train during their 24-hour shifts. So, when they are called to an emergency, they drop what they are doing and suit up. Drobeck told MTN that with an additional fire station, firefighters would be able to have more time to undergo specific and necessary training.
While the final cost of the levy is still being determined, it will be set before the Missoula Public Safety Committee on February 28, 2024.
