MERRILLVILLE | Staffing the Ross Township Fire Service with a few paid firefighters could help ensure adequate personnel will be available to respond to daytime fire calls, Ross Township Fire Chief Ed Yerga said.

But town leaders don't think Merrilville can fund the proposed change.

The volunteer fire department, which covers Merrillville and unincorporated Ross Township, can be more vulnerable during the daytime when many of the volunteer firefighters are at work and unable to respond to calls.

To strengthen the department, Yerga suggests changing from a volunteer service to a "semipaid" department.

Town Council President Joseph Shudick, who also serves as a Ross Township volunteer firefighter, said he agrees a semipaid department would benefit the town but doesn't think Merrillville can afford to make the change at this time.

Yerga, newly elected by his fellow firefighters to serve a one-year term as chief, said he understands the town's financial situation but doesn't want to stop pursuing a semipaid department.

"We're still going to push forward," Yerga said.

The fire service now dispatches volunteers from multiple stations to calls during the day to make sure the calls get enough coverage. Yerga said the practice isn't "budget-friendly" because of the cost to send multiple vehicles to a scene.

The service also has used mutual aid agreements with other departments to cover some daytime fire calls when needed, Yerga said.

Town Councilman Tom Goralczyk, a former Ross Township firefighter, said many of the firefighters that are available to respond to early calls work later shifts at their jobs.

Town officials said there were fewer problems finding enough personnel during the day when more people worked later shifts and had enough time to volunteer at the department.

It also can be difficult to find volunteers interested in serving because the training needed to become a volunteer firefighter is about the same as the training that paid firefighter must undergo, town leaders said.