City officials received a blunt assessment Monday night as outside consultants warned that the Canandaigua Fire Department remains understaffed, overly dependent on mutual aid and vulnerable to systemwide EMS strain without significant changes.
The Finance Committee met Feb. 9 to review updated findings from the Center for Public Safety Management’s Fire-EMS-911 Services Assessment. The firm had been asked to provide additional detail on volunteer regional partners, EMS call overlap and alternative staffing models.
Consultants said relationships between the city fire department and surrounding mutual aid agencies — including the VA Medical Center Fire Department — have been strained for decades. That tension has limited joint training and operational coordination, according to the presentation. Several departments told CPSM they feel underutilized when responding into the city and rarely train alongside Canandaigua crews.
The VA department, which can immediately provide three fully certified career firefighters, is often assigned to stand by as a rapid intervention team rather than being integrated into fire suppression operations. CPSM recommended the VA be dispatched automatically on reported structure fires to strengthen the initial response.
Canandaigua staffing called inadequate
Consultants reiterated that the city’s current minimum staffing of four firefighters per shift — divided between two stations — leaves both units significantly understaffed. Under that model, the department cannot assemble an effective response force for most structure fires without substantial mutual aid.
CPSM recommended the city work toward increasing minimum on-duty staffing to at least seven firefighters per shift over the long term, with nine identified as the preferred level. A phased hiring plan over six to 10 years was outlined, and consultants encouraged the city to pursue federal SAFER grants to help offset costs.
If the city determines it cannot afford additional staffing, consultants presented what they described as a last-resort option: consolidating operations at one station and staffing a single apparatus with four firefighters rather than deploying two understaffed units.
EMS gaps raise regional concerns
The report also examined EMS operations, noting that Canandaigua Emergency Squad handles both 911 responses and interfacility transfers using the same pool of ambulances. That dual role creates coverage gaps during peak hours and overlapping calls.
Consultants recommended formalizing service-level agreements between the city and CES, establishing clearer performance benchmarks, expanding data sharing and exploring enhancements such as nurse navigation within the county’s 911 center and mobile integrated health programs.
CPSM also encouraged city and town leaders to consider broader regionalization discussions that could eventually lead to a unified regional fire department. However, consultants acknowledged that cultural challenges and long-standing perceptions among neighboring departments would need to be addressed before any serious consolidation effort could move forward.
City Manager John Goodwin said administration will outline next steps as council members consider how to respond to the recommendations and what can be phased in through future budget cycles.
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