Salisbury Fire Dept. answers increasing calls for service amid recruitment needs

SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury fire officials say they are responding to an steadily increasing number of fire and EMS-related calls for service.

Call Volume Rising

Salisbury Fire Department (SFD) Chief Rob Frampton says call volumes increase every year.

“This year, based on first quarter 2023 to first quarter 2024, our fire call volumes are up almost 20%,” Chief Frampton said. “Our EMS call volume is up about 10%.”

In the first quarter of 2023, SFD answered 3,731 total calls; responding to the alarm once every 34 minutes. Compared to the first quarter of 2024, SFD responded to 4,210 calls, at a rate of two minutes fewer in between each one.

Not Just Covering the City

SFD responds to both an incorporated fire district, as well as an unincorporated area outside of city limits. Salisbury’s population hovers around 32,000 people, while SFD’s territory covers as many as 65,000 individuals.

Chief Frampton says most of their calls for service originate within the incorporated fire district; those numbers only balloon during business hours.

“It’s estimated that our population swells to about 100,000 people during a normal work day, with people coming in for doctors appointments, shopping, eating, things like that,” Chief Frampton said.

Relying on Recruitment

As those calls for service increase, so too does the need for more fire and medical personnel, says the Chief.

Working with vocational and technical programs through Wicomico County Public Schools and Wor-Wic Community College is helping to build a pipeline of prospects. Chief Frampton says SFD is also changing the way it recruits volunteers and those starting new careers.

“Maybe somebody is missing a class or we need to afford them a few more months to get a certain certification; we’re doing that, whereas in the past, we were very hardline. You either had it or you didn’t,” said Chief Frampton. “We have these opportunities here for a great-paying job, or a great opportunity to volunteer.”

Considering the Career

Despite that outreach and chance for opportunity, would-be firefighters and EMS providers are harder to come by these days, says Chief Frampton. Not only is the job physically and mentally demanding; it also can come with odd hours and intense experiences.

However, Chief Frampton says it’s often all worth it in the end.

“There are other jobs that pay a lot more and have a lot better, what I would call working conditions. But, the service aspect of this job is what I would encourage people to look at,” Chief Frampton said. “For somebody who’s young, they could come into this career at 18, 19, 20 years old, and in 25 years they could be retiring out with a good pension and health benefits.”

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, Chief Frampton says SFD is always looking for ways to change and evolve, to meet the needs of the people it serves.

“These are changing times, and we are addressing some of the issues, as far as this increasing call volume, in different ways, to help make sure that we continue to provide the level of service that the citizens and community have always had,” Chief Frampton said.