Bellevue Fire Chief Perry Guido said he hopes to put an end to brown outs soon as more firefighters are being added to the ranks.
In the last six months, brown outs at various stations happened 10 times and Guido told KETV that he's tried to spread the closures throughout the city.
"Minutes means the difference between life and death in some instances, especially medical calls," Guido said adding that a fire grows more with each passing minute.
Guido said the practice may be discontinued as seven to 10 firefighters will be on the street by year's end. The department has only three open positions.
"We've hired enough people to staff our rigs, without allowing for injured on-duty or those kinds of things, when people are sick," he said.
The department will still need personnel to work overtime to fill in for crews on vacation or ill. And, finding someone to work extra shifts has become increasingly difficult. Gone are the days of firefighters jumping at the chance to stay on duty.
Guido points to a culture shift with new generations. "They want time with their families and they have different priorities."
