A series of stories presented recently in the Daily Times has addressed the challenges of operating fire and EMS services in today’s complex world, with area leaders in firefighting saying it is becoming increasingly difficult to find staff members to conduct their business.
Watertown Fire Chief Kraig Biefeld spoke recently about the demands placed on the city’s fire department in 2021, saying one of the things that worries him most is simply being able to recruit and retain staff members qualified to respond to emergency calls.
Biefeld said there are fewer people interested in joining the fire service these days, which, in turn, means fewer people entering the EMS field. Biefeld has been with city’s fire department since June of 1993 and has been fire chief since 2018, after serving as assistant chief since 2008. He said he has seen the number of firefighting applicants drop over the past five years.