Amherst fire asks residents to help

AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - The Amherst Fire Department is asking for your help after the busiest weekend on record with nearly 50 calls pouring into the station.

Between Friday night and Sunday morning the fire department logged 40 ambulance calls and 8 fire calls.

Due to budget cuts the overnight crew has been cut down to seven full-time employees.

The department was forced to call in off-duty officers, student volunteers, and the chief to help meet the needs of the community.

Amherst Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren told 22News that this weekend alone 20 ambulances were called to UMass Amherst, 16 of those being alcohol related.

It takes approximately an hour to transport each intoxicated patient to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.

In the meantime, other emergencies are forced to be put on hold until crews from surrounding communities can respond.

“If you as a citizen of Amherst needed an ambulance or a fire truck there is no one in the station to handle that call,” Chief Stromgren said. “It’s one thing to party and enjoy your Friday and Saturday night, but for some reason what we’ve seen so far for the past three weekends it’s just going too far.”