Campbell grapples with fire department's status

CAMPBELL — For more than a decade, the fate of the Campbell Fire Department has fanned the flames of debate.

The department now employs a mixture of full-time and auxiliary – or part-time – firefighters.

City leaders are wondering, however, if this model can and should be sustained into the future.

When Campbell was in fiscal emergency, a state auditor, among other recommendations, suggested the city convert its fire department to an all-auxiliary one. The shift would be a cost-savings measure because, unlike full-time employees, the city does not provide health insurance to auxiliary firefighters.

Departments staffed only by auxiliary firefighters are often referred to as volunteer fire departments, though the part-time “volunteers” do typically earn stipends or hourly wages.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com