Fredonia Fire Chief Joshua Myers defended his department in a report to the village Board of Trustees this week.

The chief and his department have received criticism recently for allegedly being a big cause of Village Hall’s financial woes, due to soaring costs and overestimation of ambulance revenue. Myers clearly meant his statements Tuesday — contained in the annual fire chief report to the village board — as a response.

He opened by stating that the Fredonia Fire Department provides “hazardous (materials) response, technical rescue, search and rescue and many more” services to a 43.8-square mile area covering 12,900 people. The fire department’s area of responsibility is not only Fredonia, but also the town of Pomfret outside Lily Dale (which has its own fire department). Myers noted that it includes a stretch of the New York State Thruway.

“I share this not to brag about our big district, but to educate everyone listening and in this room about the massive responsibility that our fire department has,” he said. “Comparing any features of the fire department with any other departments in this village simply cannot be done. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.”

Myers said he’s “proud” to serve Pomfret, and the Fredonia Fire Department has done so for “50-plus years.” At the same time, he touted an increase of revenue for the village in its latest fire protection contract with Pomfret: it now costs $550,000 per year, an annual increase of $150,000, he stated.

Last year was the Fredonia Fire Department’s “busiest year in its nearly 125-year history,” Myers continued. “We responded to a record number of 2,191 calls for service (in 2024). I’d like to share a very concerning fact from my seat as the chief of the fire department: 651 of those calls occured at the same time — simultaneous calls.”

During simultaneous calls, there is usually just one person on shift left to handle any additional calls, he said. “Does this mean we won’t help? Absolutely not. We will do everything and anything to help our community members and our visitors. I am simply sharing the fact that our capabilities are extremely limited during these times.”

Volunteer members who “work multiple jobs and have other interests in life cannot provide response to the 2,191 calls for service. This is why we have career staffing,” Myers said. Just one of the department’s 19 volunteers in 2024 who made it to calls, responded to 25% of the calls, he said. Some 15 of the 19 answered less than 3.7% of the total calls.

“The contributions that the volunteer fire department has provided in the means of purchases directly contributes to the operational capabilities of our fire department,” Myers said. Funds for an ambulance and matching grants for other purchases were part of that in 2024, he said.

Myers stated that the Dunkirk Fire Department had 2,190 calls in 2024 with a paid staff of 24. The paid staff in Fredonia is 12, he said. “It’s untenable. My staff is tired. We are one long-term injury or a retirement away from a major accountability gap.”

The Fredonia Fire Department had 1,539 emergency medical services (EMS) calls in 2024, Myers continued. The average response time was less than five minutes. Advanced EMS “is immeasurably beneficial,” the chief said. “I am proud at our ability to provide the service, as it directly contributes towards a safer community. As a father who lives in this community, I am thankful it is here for me and my family.”

Myers also tried to show that revenue from billing for EMS services has gone up under his leadership. It went up from “the low 300s” (of thousands of dollars) in 2021 to “the mid 500s” in the current billing year.

“This has been accomplished through our new partnership with a different EMS billing company (and) a comprehensive study of our billable rates and our internal procedures,” he said.