CPSM's gap analysis highlighted a top area of concern for the City of Roswell: the potential lack of sufficient fire department staffing in the event of a regional emergency, such as an extreme weather event or a natural or manmade disaster. In these situations, Roswell's part-time staff would be obligated to report to their primary/home department, leaving the City of Roswell understaffed and vulnerable.
The gap analysis reveals that inconsistent and/or insufficient staffing levels are a common challenge for RFD. For more than 60% of the time in 2021, fire shifts were not staffed at full/ideal capacity (35 personnel). In fact, staffing levels were below minimum operating levels (28 personnel) 10% of the time. Low staffing negatively impacts services due to increased response times and decreased service capabilities. In fact, there have been many instances where RFD emergency response vehicles such as rescues, ladder trucks, and specialty apparatus are out of service due to lack of staffing.