ORONO, Maine, Oct. 16 -- University of Maine issued the following news release:
Forty-seven percent of Maine fire departments surveyed say they had been too short staffed to respond to some calls in the last three years, according to a statewide study by the Maine Office of the State Fire Marshal and the University of Maine.
Call volumes across the state have increased by 78% in the last decade, with some individual fire departments saying they doubled, if not tripled.
The strain extends beyond fighting fires. Maine firefighters also respond to floods and storms, provide emergency medical services and serve as planners, educators and communicators for emergency management.
One volunteer fire chief from Washington County interviewed for ...