Sunrise Beach Fire Department Chief wants second station staffed full-time

Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District Chief Dennis Reilly announced on Friday that the department needs increased staffing.

Reilly said the number of emergency runs and fire calls were up over 2016 to 66 total calls contributing to what will be a record total number for 2017.

Reilly also said 11 of those calls were overlapping in November, which strains the manpower of the department.

Overlapping incidents occur when district personnel must handle two runs at different locations at the same time.

“To be honest the only way we can offer residents of the district any certainty that we can respond to simultaneous calls would be to have a second station staffed 24/7,” said Reilly.

Currently one station is open and fully staffed around the clock. A second station is staffed part time.

“The district is growing in population, elderly residents and building numbers,” Chief Reilly said. “We need to look very hard at staffing a second fire house 24/7 and our current number of personnel does not allow that. This is a very serious situation that will need to be addressed going forward.”