The part-time shift will be from noon to midnight, according to fire chief Darrell Yater.
Yater determined the peak hours for service runs were 6 to 11 p.m. after reviewing the number of EMS runs per hour for 2012 through mid-November. During those hours, he said, 295 runs, or about 30 percent of the total run volume, occurred.
“We really averaged pretty close throughout the whole shift, but the higher percentages are in the evening,” Yater said.
The 12-hour shift for part-time personnel will be filled in a variety of ways, including having three people work 12 hours, or six people work six-hours, Yater said. It’s all dependant on personnel availability.
“It’s not like we hired a certain group of people to fill these part-time slots,” Yater said. “This is people we already have stepping up to fill the part-time shifts based on their availability.”
Several staff members who have stepped up to fill the part-time shifts said they are excited for the new positions.
“It’s a good thing,” said Nate Pierani, who has been with the department for five years. “I think we’ve outgrown the volunteer days. We’re too busy to be true volunteers anymore.”
Diana Gory agreed.
“We are busier than most part-time departments,” she said. “I think it will definitely help the citizens with crews ready to respond from the station.”
Yater stressed, however, that this does not mean Trenton is not still a volunteer department.
“We are not doing away with volunteers,” Yater said. “Everyone works different shifts in their other jobs and are not always available. This is just the first step in getting help immediately for whatever the situation may be.”
“This is a new chapter in the fire department and we want to prove to the citizens we are here to give them a better and more complete service,” he said.
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