The Hollister Fire Department responded to 2,151 calls for service in 2007 - the most ever and a 10 percent increase from the previous year.
"This is the first time we've broken 2,000," said Interim Fire Chief Fred Cheshire, who released the call figures Wednesday.
Cheshire said he does not know why there was such an increase. A sewer moratorium has severely limited growth since 2002, and the department didn't expect an increase, Cheshire said.
About 85 percent of responses are medical, Cheshire noted, and when the department analyzed its calls in October, that trend was holding true for 2007.
In 2006, the department responded to 1,957 calls - nearly 200 less than in 2007. In 2005, firefighters responded to 1,975 calls and 1,843 calls in 2004, according to the department. In the past 12 years, calls for service have nearly tripled for the department from 838 in 1995.
Hollister Mayor Brad Pike, also a captain with the Saratoga Fire Department, said because the majority of calls are for medical service, the increase could be due to an aging population.
"The problem is you need to have the personnel to meet the public need, and that's where Hollister falls short in both fire and police," Pike said.
An increase in calls for service and a handful of injuries in the past year has stretched a thin department even thinner, Cheshire said. Firefighters have suffered knee, back and shoulder injuries, the chief said.
Budget woes forced the city council to cut several firefighter positions in 2006, decreasing the department's total to 23.
"Fewer firefighters with the same calls is still a problem," Hollister City Manager Clint Quilter said.
Under the cuts, the department operates without the engine that holds the Jaws of Life one-third of its shifts.
But with the passage of Measure T in the November 2007 election, Hollister police and fire services could receive a funding boost back to levels before the budget cuts.
"I think the people who voted Measure T through are anticipating for public safety to be enhanced," Pike said, later adding, "You only get a couple of chances with the public's money to do the right thing."
Cheshire said Wednesday that he has a proposal to bring his department's immediate staffing levels to 24 firefighters and a prevention officer. When the moratorium is lifted, a prevention officer will be needed to approve construction projects, Cheshire said.
Eventually, Cheshire said he would like to have nine firefighters on each shift, for a total of 27.
National standards call for one firefighter per 1,000 residents, which means Hollister should have about 37 firefighters.
Quilter said the city council should be looking at budget requests at the end of January and hold public discussions in February. The council could adopt budget increases in March, Quilter said.
Michael Van Cassell Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335.
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