Brewster Proposes Increased Fire Staffing

BREWSTER – Last month, a social media post by the Brewster Permanent Firefighters union reported numerous instances of staff shortages, reliance on neighboring towns for mutual aid and a vacant fire station. 

“Today the BFD (Brewster Fire Department) handled several calls simultaneously, resulting in the need to recall off duty firefighters a total of five times,” according to the Jan. 22 post. “These calls also left the fire station empty of personnel and the town unmanned multiple times.” 

The town’s finance team is now proposing two new full-time personnel for the department — one paramedic and one EMT — in the fiscal 2026 budget. Officials will also pursue a federal grant that could fund two additional department positions.

Chief Kevin Varley said simultaneous incidents are not uncommon for his crew, and relying on off-duty personnel or mutual aid resources helps to address these situations. He also said this is “very common for fire departments on Cape Cod.” 

“We strive to always have the Brewster Fire Station staffed with Brewster's fire and emergency medical service providers so that we are able to respond to emergency incidents,” Varley said. “At times, all available Brewster Fire Department staff members may be committed to transporting patients to Cape Cod Hospital or tied up with other emergencies. When this occurs and the Brewster Fire Station is unmanned, the Barnstable County Mutual Aid System is utilized to have neighboring towns cover emergency incidents that occur in Brewster.”

Still, the need for additional staffing remains pressing, Varley said, and is backed by a 2023 study. Municipal Resource, Inc. completed a staff analysis of the department looking directly at operations, organizational structures, management and staffing. The report found a need for additional staffing, recommending a five-year, three-phase implementation plan for nine full-time firefighters. Eventually, the goal would be for the department to consistently have seven personnel assigned to a shift at all times. 

The implementation plan suggested starting in 2025 with four new full-time employees. But that year’s budget did not include funding for any new fire department personnel. 

On Jan. 6, Varley presented the department’s current staffing numbers to the select board and began conversations with the board and town officials, including Town Manager Peter Lombardi, on the feasibility of funding four new positions in 2026. 

The presentation reported 27 instances of employees working 40 to 55 hours of overtime in a single week; 43 occurrences of forced overtime since July; and 14 instances of employees voluntarily working 48 consecutive hours to prevent others from forced overtime. The department exceeded budgeted overtime by $132,000 last year. 

Last year, the department applied for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to fund the incremental hiring of nine additional firefighters, but was unsuccessful. The grant would cover 100 percent of a new position’s salary for the first three years.

In his staffing proposal, Varley advocated for four new positions but included an alternative of two new positions and another attempt at the SAFER grant. But because the SAFER grant is federally funded, town officials will have to monitor the state of the current administration to ensure funding is still available. 

On Feb. 3, the finance team, composed of Lombardi, Finance Director Mimi Bernardo and Assistant Town Manager Donna Kalinick, presented their 2026 recommended budget to the select board and finance committee. It includes $193,000 for two new firefighters. According to the presentation, four new positions using the town allocated funds would require an override. 

Lombardi said officials were hoping to receive feedback from their federal funding partners on the grant application. 

“[We’re looking for] how we can make the best case, in this instance, saying we’ve done all we can to finance these two positions with the general fund, but we’re not able to fund all four,” he said.

The board will be reviewing and voting on the proposed budget in the coming weeks.