LEWISTON, ID — Lewiston Firefighters Local 1773 is raising concerns about understaffed engine crews, noting that the city’s fire engines respond with only three firefighters despite national standards calling for four.

The union says ambulance crews are tied up on medical calls for much of the day, reducing available personnel for fires and rescues. During a recent training burn at the former Ida-Vend broadcasting building, firefighters reported that full four-person staffing made tasks safer, faster, and more coordinated.

National research — including a staffing study in Meridian, Idaho — shows four-person engines complete fireground tasks 20 to 30 percent faster, apply water sooner, and conduct searches more effectively.

Lewiston fields 16 firefighters across three stations. The union says crews meet the daily workload, but as calls increase, staffing remains critical — because, as they note, seconds matter.