BIDDEFORD – Biddeford is supplementing its volunteer firefighter ranks with University of New England students.

The “EMS Rapid Response Unit” began service last week. The 20-student unit is responsible for responding to emergencies in Biddeford’s coastal neighborhoods, including Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks, Hills Beach and Granite Point.

Many of the city’s coastal neighborhoods are located more than 10 minutes from the main fire station, and residents have lobbied for years for better coverage.

The UNE students are five minutes closer, which could make an important difference, Fire Chief Ricky Plummer said.

“Three to six minutes is about all you have during an emergency,” he said.

Plummer said the students will augment a volunteer staff of six at the Hill’s Beach station. The department has 35 full-time firefighters at its main station, and about a dozen volunteers at its Biddeford Pool station.

A lack of volunteers means that the bulk of incoming emergency calls are handled by firefighters at the main station, Plummer said.

“Our biggest problem, really, is time response to the coast,” he said. “A lot of times we have two calls coming in at once.”

The student group carries radio equipment on campus, and has been given Plummer’s emergency vehicle. During an emergency, two on-duty students will leave campus and stabilize a patient before an ambulance arrives.

Members of the response unit already have Emergency Medical Technician licenses, so the department will not need to train them.