The current effort to increase Haverhill’s dangerously low firefighter staffing levels has been ongoing since 2019. Since that time, staffing levels have not increased at all. In fact, the proposed 2023 City of Haverhill budget reduces the number of guaranteed on-duty firefighters by removing them from the 911 Call center and not increasing the per-firetruck staffing (better known as “minimum manning” or per-piece staffing). The current daily compliment of on-duty firefighters is a minimum of 21, though Mayor James Fiorentini’s proposal reduces that number to 20. Under the mayor’s proposed 2023 budget, Haverhill will lose 4 firefighter positions per week unless the Haverhill City Council stands for a TRUE STAFFING increase.