Mike Dery said he loved serving the Franklin community as a firefighter — and he hated to leave.
Joining the force two years ago, the 25-year-old from Milton was drawn to the department because of its reputation and its ability to handle dozens of different situations. However, being such a small department meant each staff member had a heavy workload.
Call volumes have rapidly increased in the last six months. Sometimes, staff responded to multiple calls at once, resulting in some cases where only one person responded to a scene.
Calls gradually increase year over year — the department experienced a spike in 2022 with 2,316 calls — 236 more than the previous year. The volume this year is on track to surpass 2024, which saw 2,208 calls.
“We keep our heads down, we do our job, and we do the best job that we can for the people that we serve, and we try not to complain,” Dery said. “If it becomes more difficult to serve those communities … is it really us, or is it the support that we’re getting?”
Dery put in his resignation letter on July 11, formally leaving the following month. His letter, read aloud by a fellow firefighter in a Sept. 8 city council meeting, highlighted issues the department faced with underfunding, staffing and call volumes.
“I take no joy in stepping away from a department and a community I care deeply about,” he wrote. “But I do so with hope that my departure, along with the ongoing challenges being voiced by others, will finally prompt the serious attention and action this department deserves.”
Franklin firefighters work about two 24-hour shifts per week. Currently, three shifts are staffed by four people, with one shift covered by three people. Michael Mussey, a firefighter of five years and president of the Franklin Professional Firefighters union, works the three-person shift and said the increase in calls has made the workload difficult.
“It seems to lead to a lot more fatigue and ultimately burnout amongst our members, particularly on the short shift,” Mussey said. “They don’t really get a break from the ambulance, and then they’re expected to run on every other emergency call as well.”
Tony Roberts, vice president of the union who has worked for eight years on staff, said the number of calls run per person makes Franklin Fire one of the busiest departments in the Lakes region, matching that of Plymouth.
“Most communities, in the Lakes region at least, are increasing in their population and call volume, but the trade off is they are able to compensate for the increase in workload by increasing staffing, increasing pay,” he said. “While efforts are earnestly made to increase staffing and pay, the resources aren’t available.”
Fire Chief Michael Foss said he attempted to get funding to hire more firefighters since 2012, but has not been granted that until this year. The city council approved the funding for one new position, though it came at the cost of cutting the overtime and training budgets.
“I did the best I could to get the one position funded,” Mayor Desiree McLaughlin said, adding that she and the council also decided to take funds from a nonprofit and a finance consultant position to fund the role.
She said she is “encouraged” by the new iteration of the city council, which she believes can delegate more funding in the future for the department.
Dery moved on to work for another fire department that is closer to home and provides more compensation. It is not an uncommon story for New Hampshire fire departments to experience high call volume and short-staffing, especially in Merrimack County.
“I think that this isn’t just a Franklin problem, it’s a fire service problem in general,” Dery said. “Maybe we need more help, and maybe we need to get more support and look for that support in order to do our jobs and be able to support the communities in which we serve.”
