JAY – Fire Rescue Chief Scott Shink says his staffing levels are dropping and there is no waiting list to become a firefighter. The numbers have dropped from 49 firefighters three years ago to 30 now, and he’s losing six more when college starts this fall.

That’s a concern, Shink said Wednesday, especially the availability of manpower during weekdays when most people are working.

“The worst part is once you start to look at training and levels of experience, it gets scary to me,” Shink said. “When you get down low it worries me what we’ll get for response.”

Shink, assistant manager of Hannaford grocery store in Farmington, shared his concerns with selectmen Monday.

The department is advertising for on-call paid positions of equipment operators, firefighters, support personnel and an emergency management director. Applications are available at the town office.

“It’s not as easy as filling other municipal jobs,” he said, such as the Highway Department where they’re likely to get multiple applications.

Firefighters are paid on-call workers who never know when they’re working and have to complete a lot of training to face potentially dangerous situations each time they’re called out, he said.

Just to become a structural firefighter, labor standards require 100 hours of training, which is not paid, before going into a burning building, he added.

“It’s a commitment, definitely, and if you’re a young family and if the husband or wife is training,” Shink said, they miss children’s events and answer the call of duty whenever it comes.

Shink gave selectmen a list of possible short-term and long-term solutions.

Short-term options to alleviate the problems are scheduling two per diem firefighters, one day a week to do mandatory inspections, close one fire station and open the department to people from other towns or rely on mutual aid.

The per diem option is one of the better ones at this time, he said, and would have little impact on the budget. He estimated the cost at $8,000 annually.

Firefighters are volunteering their time to do it now, but it is taking a toll.

“Jay is a very unique community in a fire setting,” he said.

There are two stations: North Jay and Chisholm, but there is also Jay Village and East Jay to contend with in 48 square miles.

Plus it’s industrialized, Shink said.

“What a lot of people forget is I’m responsible for protecting homes as well as industry,” he said.

Industrial operations include two paper mills, a power plant and specialty minerals plant.

If they rely strictly on mutual aid, it’s a crapshoot who will come because other departments are facing similar manpower situations, he said.

If they open up the Fire Department to other towns, he said, it’s a robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul kind of deal, he said.

Potential long-term solutions include closing both stations, sell them off and build one centrally located by insurance standards; consolidate No. 2 station in Chisholm with Livermore Falls; or hire full-time daytime staff Monday through Friday.

Building a new station would mean reduced equipment purchases, staffing and one building to maintain.

Consolidation of Chisholm Station with Livermore Falls would mean shared costs, equipment and buildings.

Multiple factors are making it difficult to recruit firefighters, he said, including a stagnant and aging population, two-income families, longer work hours, more state and federal regulations, and demand for broader services.

“We’re not just fighting fires,” he said. Firefighters extricate accident victims, provide medical help, and clean up hazardous materials, among other duties.

On top of that, calls are increasing, he said, with 132 already this year. In a typical year there are 140.

“Although I’m concerned with current staffing levels, I still feel we can provide safe, timely, efficient response to emergencies,” Shink said. “I’m just worried about burning out current firefighters.”