Grappling with recruitment and retention issues, the South Meriden Volunteer Fire Department has dwindled to its lowest volunteer numbers in decades while responding to more calls each year.
Data on the department’s volunteer numbers and call volume were recently presented to the city’s Public Safety Committee.
The station currently has 21 volunteer firefighters, according to South Meriden Volunteer Fire Chief Keith Gordon. It would need 35 volunteers to be fully staffed and has lost 42 volunteers in the last three years. “Since I’ve been here, it’s never been this low,” said Gordon, a 25-year veteran of the department. “The guys we have now are good. I just need more good people.”