Town of Brookfield Fire Department facing staffing shortages

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The town of Brookfield Fire Department is facing staffing shortages that could affect response times. 

The president of the union that represents the firefighters says at one point Saturday they were operating with only three personnel and only one paramedic. That caused them to take an ambulance out of service at one point. 

"It's important for the citizens of this town to know that their fire department is not being staffed appropriately," said Union President Jason Shields of IAFF Local 4724. "Not only is it a safety issue, a life safety issue for the town's citizens, it's a safety issue for our firefighters."

The shortage requires the town of Brookfield to rely on nearby agencies to handle their calls.

CBS 58 reached out to the town of Brookfield chairman, but he said he had "no comment at this time."