CALEDONIA - The village could have too many firefighters or not enough, depending on how you look at it.

Caledonia is above average in firefighters per thousand residents, when compared with other career fire departments in the state. The Caledonia Fire Department has about seven more firefighters than the state average but local fire officials say each person is crucial. With 40 firefighters serving a population of 25,130, the department is at 1.6 firefighters per thousand residents. The state average is 1.3 firefighters per thousand, according to a 2006 Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance report. But the department is still below the National Fire Protection Association standard of four firefighters per fire apparatus to ensure safety and efficiency, said Fire Chief Richard Roeder. The department has three firefighters per apparatus. Also, Caledonia is unique in that for its population size, the fire department has a relatively big coverage area of about 46 square miles, he said. The average response travel time is four minutes, according to the department. "It's about getting the right number of people on the scene within a certain period of time to be effective," said John Dahms, fire science instructor at Gateway Technical College and former Mount Pleasant assistant fire chief. "If it was your family, what would you want?" The department's staffing is adequate 95 percent of the time, Roeder said, and mutual aid from other fire departments help cover the remaining incidents. The South Shore Fire Department, serving Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant, covers 40 square miles and a combined population of about 32,500, according to Fire Chief William Bouma. With 57 firefighters, the department is at 1.75 firefighters per thousand. Demanding, labor-intensive tasks There are at least 10 people on duty every day, three firefighters at each of the three stations plus one battalion chief. The position of assistant fire chief has been vacant since August 2008 due to budget constraints. Their labor-intensive tasks demand units of three, Roeder said. Just maneuvering a hose that pumps 135 to 180 gallons of water per minute may require two people, he said, especially if navigating stairs, corners and around furniture. "It's what the nature of the job is," Dahms said. Whether it's transporting a 200-pound person who fell down the stairs or on the scene of a fire with multiple patients, officials agree it takes teamwork. And it's not just putting the fire out, said Jason Hempel, president of the firefighters' union. Firefighters are also searching for people, aiding rescue and administering patient care on top of maintaining ventilation and shoveling debris to look for the origin and more. "We need all the manpower to put these fires out," Hempel said. "There is safety in number that allows firefighters to enter burning houses aggressively."