MONROE — After years running a paid, on-call fire department like so many others in the state, Monroe should consider transitioning to a least a hybrid status — adding more full-time firefighters to keep pace with rising demand for fire and emergency service in the city.

That is one of the takeaways of a 10-year, strategic plan document reviewed in some detail by the Monroe Common Council during its regular July 21 meeting. It envisions a more modern fire-service as Monroe’s taxbase grows — along with generational and other forces pressuring demand for all types of calls.

Shelton, Connecticut-based MissionCIT’s John Thompson detailed the plan for officials, saying they were hired to create a plan to boost the department’s “efficiency and effectiveness.”

He said, for example, the city could cut response times — and ultimately insurance rates with better fire rankings — by a renewed focus on the department’s call processing and turnout times.

Other key findings / recommendations in the new report, which provides a detailed breakdown of manpower and structural issues, include: 

●  Call volumes are increasing annually, especially for emergency medical (EMS) responses. 

●  Fires are only 3 percent of overall call volume

●  The population of the city is declining and aging, which will likely have further effects to increase the call numbers. (including so-called ‘lift assists’)

●  MFD can expect its responses to EMS incidents to increase and its involvement in those responses to increase from a limited role to more of a first-response role. (no transport) 

●  MFD should begin to prepare its personnel to meet the EMS response need that is likely coming.

●  Monroe’s department has a “first-class” training center for its firefighters.

Another major strategy, Thompson told officials, is to pursue closer relationships with other area departments — including other MABAS mutual aid departments — for services and training.

The firm reached out to firefighters, business leaders, school, hospital, healthcare and other groups in the region for insight as the researched and formed their initial recommendations, according to the planning document.

“We have fireman, and we’ve had our differences, but at some point… I certainly hope we can all work together to make a strong Monroe Fire Department,” said Mayor Donna Douglas, alluding to years of well-documented infighting in the department; and leadership issues. “This is not an easy situation to be in.”

Though he said there is much work to do for the department, there is also plenty of easy fixes and much to appreciate about the work MFD does.

“There’s a lot in that report,” he said. “The sky’s not falling…the department’s not doing a bad job at all.”