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Do Ambulance and Fire Belong Together?

By Patrick White

For the leaders of Stockbridge and West Stockbridge, that answer is a resounding yes. Much of the rest of the county seems to feel differently.

Stockbridge and West Stockbridge plan to roll out a new shared service in 2027, with a new combined fire and ambulance station adjacent to Stockbridge's Transfer Station. It will require an addition of eight new firefighters/EMTs. This job requires more training and skills than EMTs alone, and pays approximately $20,000 more than EMT makes in Berkshire County.

We believe the combination is worth the price. First, it allows us to compete for talent with the higher pay, a more realistic living wage for the employee. Second, it allows us efficiency gains vs. keeping the roles of firefighter and EMT separate. Traditionally, firefighting was a volunteer role and we plan to maintain our volunteer departments. The reality, however, is that the Berkshires has an aging population, with fewer volunteers than we had traditionally. A 24-7-365 operation has the benefit of faster response time and coverage every hour of every day throughout the entire year. This translated to saving lives and saving property.

We fast tracked this decision to keep you safe. Other towns have elected to study their options over the next several years. We strongly urge them to consider the trade-offs of combining fire and ambulance vs. keeping them separate. Both ideas need thorough exploration without preconceived notions.