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Town Forum Presentation�Brooklyn Emergency Services

December 22, 2025

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Introductions

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Commission Members

Fire Chiefs

Politicians

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Agenda

  • History of Departments
  • Current Model
  • Ambulance challenges
  • Fire Challenges

  • Stakeholder Feedback
  • Options
  • Obstacles
  • Vision & Wrap-up

Public Comment

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Vision Statement

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To be a community-powered emergency services system where dedicated volunteers and professionals work together to protect life and property, while ensuring a defined, reliable standard of emergency coverage aligned with community risk and responsibility.

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Definitions

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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1896 that focuses on eliminating death, injury, property damage, and economic loss caused by fire, electrical, and related hazard. It develops consensus-based fire and life safety codes and standards that are widely adopted by fire departments, municipalities and industry.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Labor responsible for ensuring safe and healthy working conditions for employees across the country

Authority Having Jurisdiction(AHJ) is the organization, office, or individual responsible for enforcing a code or standard, or approving equipment, materials, installations, or procedures.

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History

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Mortlake Fire Company

Founded 1927

Nearly a century of community service

Strong tradition of volunteerism and dedication

East Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department

Founded 1937

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Current Service Model

EMS - Ambulance

    • Staffing
      • Paid Personnel w/ volunteer supplement
    • Cost
      • Offset by taxpayers
        • 24-25: $83,000
        • 25-26: $45,000
    • Volume
      • 1200+ emergency calls

Provided by Mortlake

Firefighting

    • Staffing
      • 100% Volunteer
    • Cost
      • 25-26
        • East Brooklyn: $101,836
        • Mortlake Fire: $174,605
    • Volume
      • 300 - 400

Provided by Mortlake & East Brooklyn

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Mortlake Call Volume

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A Tradition of Savings

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The volunteer model of our fire departments, has resulted in millions of dollars of savings over the years due to the dedication of the current and past memberships.

The town has mirrored that commitment by supporting the departments.

Commitment to remain Mission Focused

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Current Challenges �� Ambulance Service

Rising Costs

Decline in Volunteer Pool

On-Board Process

Heavier Reliance on Paid Staffing Model

Current System only deals with EMS

Call Volume Increases

Missed Revenue Opportunities due to Volume

Regulatory and Administrative Requirements

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Current Challenges �� Fire Services

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  • Decline in volunteers
    • Lower than favorable response numbers, NFPA 1720
    • Macro Problem
  • Rising call volume
    • Missed calls, delayed responses. More reliance on surrounding communities
  • Volunteer Demographics
    • Family/Work Life
    • Age
    • Generational Changes 

  • Training demands
    • OSHA Complance
    • NFPA Standards
    • Time Commitment
  • Administrative Demands
  • Facility Demands
    • Aging Facilities
    • Upkeep

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Recommended Staffing & Response Times

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AHJ – Authority Having Jurisdiction is the organization, office, or individual responsible for enforcing a code or standard, or approving equipment, materials, installations, or procedures.

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Residential Structure Fire Staffing Demands

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Pointers To Necessary Change

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Community Growth

Service level directly tied to Growth

Service Level expectation grows

Aging Community

Recruitment Concerns

Call Volume – EMS

Missed Calls

Life & Property Concern

Over-Reliance on Mutual Aid

Extended Response Times

Fight Time

Fire & EMS

Reduced Staffing

Functional Scene Performance

Service gaps reflect systemic staffing constraints driven by workforce, economic, and employer policies, most acutely impacting daytime response capability.

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Community Goals and Expectations

Fast & Adequate Response

Transparency

Accountability

Unified Fire Service

Scalable System

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Community Expectations����� � Standard of Cover

  • Ownership of the Problem
  • Community Risk Profile
  • Staffing & Availability
  • Response Performance
  • Operational Risk
  • Legal & Governance
  • Fiscal Reality

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Feedback Results – Internal & External

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External 

  • 79% of residents support one unified department.
  • 3 in 4 see consolidation as more efficient.
  • Concerns: governance, transparency, preserving identity.

Internal

  • 57% of volunteers support consolidation.
  • Cultural and trust concerns among volunteers into the unknown.

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Takeaways

Is the fire department appropriately staffed to provide targeted levels of service?

Is the current organizational structure designed to provide oversight, operations, planning, command and control?

Are there opportunities to make changes to the structure that would result in improved effectiveness or efficiency to the Town?

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Options

  • Ambulance – Immediate Solution
    • BOF/BOS Request to fill staffing Gaps
  • Longer term solutions with need on the horizon
    • Combine the Departments
    • Implement Staff in dual roles
    • Unified Administration

  • Entirely new model
        • Regionalization potential

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Change Obstacles 

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Financial Contraints

Cultural Resistence

Operation Inertia

Decline in Volunteer Model

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Maintaining the Vision

Increase standard of coverage town wide at all times

Reliability

Preserving the needed of a volunteer involved model

Reduces risk of modern day emergency response needs

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Wrap -Up

All-volunteer model no longer sustainable

Community support and transparency are key

Together, we will keep Brooklyn safe & strong for the future

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Questions?

  • Department Applications

  • Educational Materials – LinkTree

  • Signup contact Sheet

  • Fire Commission Meetings

  • Email Contact - brooklynbofc@gmail.com