The 42 members who make up the Captains and Firefighters are divided into 4 groups. There is 1 group on duty at all times. On each group there are 5 firefighters and 1 captain assigned to Central Station; and there are 3 firefighters and 1 captain assigned to North Station.
Each person is assigned to a seat on the engine and a spot on the ambulance. The only exception is when there are an odd number of people on duty, because ambulances generally run with a 2 person crew. With this set-up, we are usually able to staff 4 paramedic level ambulances. Often we can staff 5 ambulances. Because we must have at least 7 firefighters on duty, we can always staff at least 3 ambulances. The Captain at each station is responsible for assigning duties at the beginning of the shift. Generally, each firefighter rotates through the various assignments from shift to shift.
In addition to our emergency responses, the Amherst Firefighters stay quite busy. We inspect new and renovated residential buildings as required by law. Maintenance of our facilities, equipment, and vehicles is also an important aspect of our work. Each day of the week has specific duties assigned to it.
Public education is also an important part of our role in the community. Not only do we conduct regular fire drills at the schools in town (the students are always excited to get out of class for a while!), but our award winning S.A.F.E. program is active in teaching children about the dangers of fire and even smoking. Occasionally we have a scheduled tour of our facilities, and we often show parents and kids around our equipment when they stop in on a nice day.