PINEHURST, NC -- Firefighters in Pinehurst are working to have better response times for emergencies.

• The fire chief, Carlton Cole said response times have declined in the last five years
• Council members said they're implementing a plan to fix that. Topping their list includes buying a new emergency vehicle, getting more software and hiring more staff.
• Officials said the cost of the plan will be more than $750,000

The fire chief, Carlton Cole said response times have declined in the last five years. Crews told Spectrum News, calls are up nearly 70 percent, despite not adding more staff since 2008.

Council members said they're implementing a plan to fix that. Topping their list includes buying a new emergency vehicle, getting more software and hiring more staff.

"The added firefighter will bring each shift to par in how we schedule," Cole said. "It'll put nine people on duty at all times. For the 28 days we scheduled, the shift will be at nine."

Officials said the cost of the plan will be more than $750,000. Firefighters are expecting their response time to be at 75 percent in five years.