Yesterday we were on our way to an appointment and drove thru Taco Bell to satisfy my Mexican Pizza craving. We pulled over briefly as the rain pelted the car and in a moment...watched a car glide into another and the chain reaction was that four cars hit one another. The first one most probably a total loss with both front and rear end severely damaged. We quickly called 911 and told them we were in New Berlin at the corner of Coffee and Moorland Roads and they had better send a few ambulances and the police to the accident scene. The operator thanked us and hung up.
New Berlin has a different kind of fire department than most cities...it is a combination of a small full time staff and a paid "on call staff". This keeps the costs to the residents at a reasonable level while providing them with outstanding service. Quoting from the city's website, here is how the department is described:
Paid-On-Call
A paid standby program began on January 1, 2004. The program provides funds for four Paid-On-Call personnel to work 12-hour shifts at Fire Station #1 on weeknights (6PM-6AM) and weekends (four 12-hour shifts from 6PM Friday to 6AM Monday). The standby program guarantees a minimum level of staffing at night, and is augmented by other available Paid-On-Call and full-time employees. The paid-on-call component consists of approximately 100 personnel whose duties include:
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Administrative StaffTwo full-time civilian personnel provide administrative support to the Fire Department |
In less than four minutes, 3 squad cars and 3 ambulances were assisting the injured accident victims. Paid on call may not work for every city. In these times of tighter govenment budgets, it may be worth suggesting to your common council, village board or other local governing body as an alternative to more full time service. As we witnessed first hand, service was provided capably and in a timely manner. Thank you New Berlin Fire and Rescue Squad...job well done !
Sally K. & David L. Hanson, ABR, CDPE, CSS, e-Pro,ILHM, REDS
This is a high quality fire department, and some of the nicest people you could ever meet.
12-hour shifts would never work here in California. They want shorter shifts due to mental stress, not longer shifts. We'd have to pay them double time for the extra four hours.
New Berlin is a little sleepier than San Diego...most firefighters here have another full time or nearly full time job if they are not volunteer...not all that much to do and they make lots of hay while the sun shines.