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Pasco County firefighters say lack of staff, resources dangerous for citizens

Firefighters say county commissioners aren't giving them the resources they need to keep up with the growing population.

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — There's a growing call in Pasco County to allocate more resources to firefighters.

"When every second counts, we are minutes away," Lindsay Mathew, captain and paramedic with Pasco Fire Rescue told county commissioners on Tuesday.

First responders said the department can’t keep up with a rapidly growing population, and more needs to be done to keep people safe.

“If you’re gonna build 30,000 houses, we need more stations, we need more units, we need more people," said Mathew.

According to Robert Fuerst with the International Association of Fire Fighters 4420 Fire Union, last month it took at least 11 minutes and 31 seconds for first responders to get to the scene of a 911 call at least 51% of the time. 

"Recently we had a cardiac arrest in Land o' Lakes and cellular brain death occurs in six minutes but it took us 18 minutes to get there,” Mathew told county commissioners.

A person who lives in the local area called into Tuesday's meeting and told commissioners that a 911 call wasn't enough to save a family friend. 

“He had a heart attack and rescue was not able to reach him within a reasonable amount of time and he passed away," the resident said. 

The fire union said call volume only continues to rise. 

Last year they received triple the number of calls as the year before, and as of last Friday, they have already received two thousand more calls in 2022 than in 2021. 

In 2018, voters approved a bond program that would provide funding for new firehouses, but four years later and only the first of those firehouses is close to completion. 

The county said the pandemic and supply chain issues are to blame for the delays. 

A spokesperson gave 10 Tampa Bay the following statement. 

"Pasco County voters approved the GO Bond ballot measures in November 2018, and that funding became available in mid to late 2019. Our plan, presented to the Pasco Board of County Commissioners prior to the election, was to phase in new fire stations over time, as our operating budget allows," the statement said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic and construction supply chain issues have delayed that process; however, we are almost finished with the first new fire station – and will be securing bids for the second new station soon."

Pasco County is also actively recruiting firefighters. 

Following a six-month lull in applications, the county said they have enough people applying to fill the firefighter vacancies. 

"Right now, 32 firefighters are in training and another 25 will begin training soon," the county said in the statement. "The final training class of the fiscal year starts in August and a new Fire Rescue unit went into service May 3, and several other new rescues will soon serve our community as well."

 Mathew said firefighters need the resources and help now. 

“God forbid you’re sitting in a vehicle with critical injuries. Can you can confidently know the Pasco County firefighters are coming, and we’re going to make it when seconds count? The question is, what are you going to do to ensure that statement is true?” he said. 

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