ONTARIO, Oregon — In the Oregon border city of Ontario, first responders are feeling the pinch of understaffing.
The results of a recent community risk assessment by the Ontario Fire Department highlighted areas that need immediate attention, with staffing identified as the most critical issue. "I would say the staffing would be our biggest need, honestly," said Clint Benson, Fire Chief of the Ontario Fire Department. He added, "The study that we sent out, it recommended, I think, 10 more firefighters for Ontario."
The risk assessment also emphasized the importance of mutual aid agreements to cut down on response times and the urgent need for up to 10 additional firefighters. "I think we'd be good with three [new firefighters] to get a good start. But our goal would be to run four [people] on an engine," Benson explained.
As it stands, about 30% of the time, only two firefighters are present on an engine during a response, which increases risk for those responding. The industry standard, known as "two in, two out," requires four firefighters: two to go in for rescues and two to tackle the fire from the outside.
"We will always risk a lot to save a lot, no matter what we have on the engine," Benson stated. "I think we're all wired that way— to do whatever we need to do for our community."
The understaffing issue is not limited to Ontario but is felt widely across nearby communities, as noted by Jaecie Manzo, owner of Wiggles and Giggles Early Learning Center. "It's definitely part of the problem for sure. It's a problem everywhere," Manzo said.
Located directly across from a recent fire at a 25,000-square-foot shed, Manzo decided to evacuate due to the fire. She said that some of the kids in her care have asthma, which prompted her decision to evacuate. She also noted that incidents like this attract onlookers who hamper rescue efforts. "We don't have a lot of excitement usually here," Manzo explained. "So when something like this happens, we get a lot of looky-loos that want to come see what's going on, and they just get in the way of everything, really."
