With no staffing available, the Pepperell fire station sat empty Sunday night.
And, the chief has no solution.
"I just couldn't fill it. I'm worried about running our career staff into the ground in mental health and a long with the demands of the job," fire Chief Brian Borneman told WBZ-TV.
Out of its eight full-time positions, Pepperell fire has only three filled right now. Two full time staff left over the summer and another person is on medical leave.
Staffing issues are plaguing emergency services statewide as multiple departments compete for a smaller pool of applicants. Borneman says Pepperell covers the shortages by using on call and per diem staff or mutual aid from other towns.
The chief finds himself in a tough position. Even when he finds job candidates, each paramedic requires two years of training before they can start.
"If your next question is, 'what's the answer,' I don't have a good answer. I don't know what that is," he said.
