More full-time firefighters are needed in Yarmouth, according to the union.

The Yarmouth Professional Firefighters Association says they’re responding to all calls with just two career-staff firefighters on duty.

Local 2094 union president and Platoon Chief Peter Winship says nationally recognized safety standards recommend at least four career-staff firefighters.

“There’s a national campaign from the International Association of Firefighters called ‘4 Firefighters 4 Your Safety,’ when we say your safety, we mean our customers and the firefighters that respond to these calls,” said Winship.

He says research shows inadequate staffing increases risk to firefighters and the public.

“Four staff on the first arriving engine would give us the capability to secure the scene, doing a search, fire suppression and making everything safer for not only the general public, but the firefighters themselves.”

There are eight career staff in Yarmouth plus a fire inspector, the town is responsible for staffing.

We’ve reached out to the town for comment.

“This campaign isn’t just for the Yarmouth area, we want all regions to have adequate staff. We are here to serve the general public, and if we can make it safer for everyone, it’s a win-win,” added Winship.

Busy weekend for Yarmouth department

The post on social media from the association highlighted the challenges faced when multiple calls come in.

On Saturday, December 13, there were two separate structure fires within the coverage area.

During the first fire, on-duty staff were called to a motor-vehicle collision on Starrs Road, requiring crews to manage multiple incidents at the same time.

The association says on-duty staff brought the fires under control before volunteer firefighters even reached the station.

But they add, it highlighted a ‘critical reality’ that the department is responding with only two members.