Port Wentworth Gets More Firefighters

PORT WENTWORTH, GA: It was a year ago when News Three's Alice Massimi first told you about a serious shortage of firefighters in Port Wentworth.
With a population that's almost tripled in the past five years the number of full time firefighters has held steady at three.
Yes, three.
It's no surprise, the money wasn't there to pay for more and volunteers were not coming forward.
So the city had to get creative and Alice is back tonight to tell you help is on the way.
Rarely can Port Wentworth Fire Department handle a call on its own, with only 5 firefighters the city relies heavily on surrounding departments. Case in point, this past January when the Dollar General and Food Lion were set on fire....Savannah and Pooler were called into assist.
“Currently with only one firefighter on duty when they get on scene there is not a lot they can initiate,” says Fire Chief Greg Long.
Especially tough when you're tasked with covering more than six thousand people.
“When you are looking at economic conditions of city, state and country it’s just sometimes it is tough to go out and hire,” explains Mayor Glenn Jones.
Until now... the City has received a grant from Homeland Security for three additional firefighters.
“This is a great thing it will allow us to double our work force that we have,” says Long.
While they've been able to get more firefighters another problem has arisen Highway 25 at the viaduct, the main way from the center of Port Wentworth to Northern Port Wentworth is about to be shut down for construction.
“It concerns me that when we do shut down the viaduct our fire trucks will not be able to get to the north end,” says Long.
“If a train is across Crossgate Road and with the increase in truck traffic on Dean Forest and Highway 21 our response would be severely delayed,” adds Jones.
To remedy the problem the city is hoping to open station 2, an older station on Highway 21.
But long wonders who will staff it? Already spread thin and with the construction date quickly approaching long is worried the three new positions will not be filled in time.
“Does that make you nervous?”
“A little bit yes,” admits Long.
Mayor Jones says public safety is his number one priority and he will do everything in his power to get station 2 staffed while the roadway is closed.