SOMERS — The Village of Somers says demand for public safety is growing faster than staffing can keep up, and leaders are asking residents to weigh in on how to move forward.
A new Options Assessment report shows a nearly 320% increase in calls for service since 2017. Last year alone, Somers Fire & Rescue handled a record 1,662 calls, two-thirds of them medical.
“With our current, relatively low full-time staffing levels, we are only able to send out two ambulances at once,” said Fire Chief Ben Andersen. “As the need for emergency medical services continues to rise, Somers Fire & Rescue needs to be able to send all three of our ambulances out at once.”
Watch: Somers weighs adding firefighters and deputy as 911 calls surge
The report highlights that the fire department relies heavily on part-time staff who must travel from their homes or other jobs before responding to emergencies, leading to longer response times.
Andersen said growth in the community has also added pressure.
“The village of Somers itself has been growing quite a bit over the last 5 to 10 years… we’ve had a lot of larger multifamily residential apartment complexes and a lot of new commercial over the last 10 years, which just caused an increase for call volume,” Andersen said.
The plan calls for funding eight full-time firefighter/paramedic positions and one additional sheriff deputy assigned to Somers. Deputies handled more than 10,000 calls and issued 2,500 citations in 2024, including speeding and revoked license violations.
“There isn’t a sustainable tax base right now — without the residents voting for something," said Andersen. "The biggest thing is just trying to educate them that we’re trying to provide the best care possible, and we want to be here when they need us. But right now we need them to help support us so we can be here when they need us.”
In the coming weeks, Somers residents will receive a survey to provide feedback on funding options. A referendum could follow, depending on community input.
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