Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) — As Marshfield’s emergency call volume continues to rise, the Marshfield Fire & Rescue Department is urging community support for a Public Safety Referendum on the April 1 ballot. The referendum seeks to restore funding for two firefighter/paramedics (positions cut in 2021) to enhance emergency response capabilities and ensure public safety.
According to Lieutenant Jason Schad, firefighter/paramedic at Marshfield Fire & Rescue, the department has experienced a 48% increase in call volume since 2020, with 18% (accounting for about 600 incidents) of emergencies occurring simultaneously—meaning that while firefighters are handling one crisis, another is unfolding.
Strain on Staffing and Response Times
Currently, Marshfield Fire & Rescue operates with a minimum staffing level of eight personnel per shift. However, when multiple emergencies occur, as they often do, only four responders may be available to manage additional incidents.
“If we were to have a structure fire with only four personnel, we would only be able to do fire suppression efforts from the exterior of the structure,” Schad explained.
To compensate for staffing shortages, the department sometimes calls off-duty personnel to return to work, but this system is not foolproof. “This request is voluntary and off-duty personnel are not always available. If they are available, it takes time as they are traveling from their homes,” Schad said. Meanwhile, surrounding volunteer departments that could provide mutual aid are also facing staffing shortages, leading to longer response times.
Life-Threatening Risks of Insufficient Staffing
Schad emphasized that in medical emergencies, minutes matter. Delays in responding to strokes, heart attacks, or cardiac arrests significantly decrease survival chances.
“A positive outcome for a person needing CPR becomes less likely with each minute that passes. Some EMS calls require more than two people to provide the best care for a patient. For example, for someone in cardiac arrest, we want to have four personnel providing care,” he said.
In fire emergencies, staffing shortages limit the department’s ability to conduct search and rescue operations effectively. “A normal residential room can be fully involved in a fire within four minutes, compared to 20 minutes 40 years ago. Victims of a fire now have only three minutes to escape,” Schad noted, citing research from Underwriters Laboratory.
Firefighter safety is also at risk when staffing falls short. “Firefighters working on both medical or fire incidents have an increased likelihood of being injured when trying to do work that normally requires more personnel,” Schad said.
How Two Additional Firefighter/Paramedics Would Help
If approved, the referendum would allow Marshfield Fire & Rescue to increase staffing on each shift, leading to improved response times and enhanced emergency services.
“The additional personnel would allow us to handle concurrent calls at one time and not have to rely on off-duty personnel or mutual aid—both of which take more time,” Schad explained. “On a fire scene, additional personnel ensure faster and more effective fire suppression and search and rescue operations.”
In structure fires, having additional firefighters on hand could be the difference between life and death. “If we are able to increase our staffing, we would be able to suppress the fire and search for victims at the same time. Data shows that a victim located and removed in the first 4–6 minutes after firefighters arrive has a 64% chance of survival. At 8–10 minutes, that chance drops to 52%, and after 10 minutes, it’s less than 31%,” Schad shared.
Similarly, in cases of cardiac arrest, survival rates decrease by 7–10% per minute when CPR and defibrillation are delayed. “Having two paramedics on scene slows down the time we can administer these interventions versus having four paramedics. With additional staffing, we have a better chance of sending the appropriate number of personnel,” Schad added.
With call volumes surging and simultaneous emergencies becoming more common, Marshfield Fire & Rescue is making the case that additional personnel are not a luxury but a necessity. The April 1 Public Safety Referendum will determine whether the department receives the staffing increase needed to provide timely, effective emergency response for the Marshfield community. Learn more here.
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Author: News Desk
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