Marshfield will hire 2 firefighter/paramedics in January after voters approve referendum
MARSHFIELD − The Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department will hire two additional firefighter/paramedics in January thanks to the passage of a referendum question in Tuesday's election.
The addition will take place in January and, at that point, there will be 12 personnel on all three shifts at the department, Fire Chief Everett Mueller. Once the two positions are in place, the department will be back to its 2021 staffing level.
Everyone at the Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department absolutely appreciates voters approving the referendum, Mueller said. The referendum passed with 3,765 voters in favor of the referendum and 2,969 voting against it.
"We are incredibly humbled by the community's support and trust in our department," Mueller said. "This decision ensures that we can continue providing the high-quality emergency response and medical care that the Marshfield residents rely on."
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The department will get to increase its budget by $256,903 to pay for the two additional firefighter/paramedics. Mueller said he and his staff know it's not a small amount for taxpayers to pay given the current economy and what is going on in the political world.
Individual taxpayers will pay an additional $13.28 for every $100,000 of value of their property.
The department and city officials did three public hearings prior to the election. Mueller said not many people showed for the hearings, but they were broadcast on public access television and a lot of people watched the presentations then.
Mueller said the feedback from the public ahead of the election focused more on stories of when people were helped by the Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department. The feedback was stories of how courteous, efficient and well-trained the department is, Mueller said.
The referendum was about public safety and the voters seemed to understand that. The referendum allows the department to maintain the level of readiness and response that our community expects and deserves, Mueller said.
Contact Karen Madden at kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Marshfield fire chief grateful for support of public safety referendum
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