[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6070941,"mediaKeyId","3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5","parentId",3048908,"title","Emergency communications seeks county share, new communication center and CAD upgrade; requests one full-time dispatcher, prepared-live upgrade","audioSeconds",320,"startMs",1676480,"endMs",1996570,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5&start=1676&end=1996","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5/thumbnail_1676480.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6070941/Dubuque-City/Dubuque-County/Iowa/Emergency-communications-seeks-county-share-new-communication-center-and-CAD-upgrade-requests-one-full-time-dispatcher-prepared-live-upgrade","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070941-0d1c016b5d7ebf80c4032947ed6d9af1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168741&Signature=R5YjjMD980FN9YB-bJN5wgF1kiHE5MSnT3-mY0zfmZTWHqXjFP-6ArlCPlpUiqRP4nYcnvJMUiUz6Z6bUcp-q-FsbXV4VAlCFZ0M5VANcYETVm~IZI1Cdxd1UeAYqIXAY4f3YP6HHRx6HwvRGTXqksvALUONbvjPCNl3ipo39eDBr~tIK2Y~zIMWK7UcLRBZNNH03II5Ad1uHDZCjjF21CMzabX5-Ow0R28oCER8z70CbL8UftnvgK2Pa2NFoLsw~mK-SxiC0PfXeobZXPTy7U2ZaAbUp0ZGCep6blFn8fo6l5l58fWjq~kPiXV7XgxfglE8CE~RR-94~MjLqyLJXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Dubuque Government","date","2025-04-11T00:00:00Z","article","Jessica George Rethwisch, director of Emergency Communications, presented the department’s FY26 budget and improvement requests April 10, outlining staffing, technology and the new communications center that the department plans to occupy in late 2025.

“Ensure the appropriate response is dispatched that meets or exceeds the expectations and needs of the public,” George Rethwisch said, summarizing the department mission as she reviewed staffing additions made in 2024 and a leadership vacancy the department expects to fill internally once training completes.

She described progress on the new communications center: construction is on schedule, walls and painting in progress, and Raycom will handle radios with IT and vendor work targeted for July–August ahead of a hoped-for November move-in. The center will include up to eight operational consoles on the floor with room for expansion and a backup center housing five of the six consoles from the current council space.

George Rethwisch briefed the council on call-volume and performance metrics: for fiscal year 2024 the center handled 25,735 9-1-1 calls and 100,335 nonemergency calls, with 97% of 9-1-1 calls answered within 0–9 seconds and 96% of all calls answered in 0–9 seconds. She said the department now logs and uses the “Prepared Live” platform for text/video from callers; the free tier is in use but a paid tier would add automatic translation (up to 19 spoken languages, 140 text languages) and live transcript features.

Improvement packages requested in FY26 include a full-time dispatcher to cover busier weekday day shifts (in exchange for returning two part-time positions), a laptop to allow dispatchers to complete required online training off the floor, and a paid Prepared Live (Prepared Assist) subscription for enhanced translation, storage and transcription. George Rethwisch said the paid Prepared Live version stores media and can provide requested call records quickly; she said some counties in Iowa already use the paid service.

Council members praised the center project and asked about details of the prepared-live subscription, storage and call-handling; George Rethwisch said media are stored by the vendor and can be requested. No public comment was recorded during the department hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Dubuque FY 2026 Budget Meeting #5 | April 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Jessica George Rethwisch, director of Emergency Communications, presented the FY26 budget April 10 and requested continued city/county funding, detailed progress on a new communications center and asked for one full-time dispatcher, a training laptop and a paid Prepared Live subscription.","taxTitle","Dubuque City, Dubuque County, Iowa","taxId",4967,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6070946,"Emergency management seeks $116,400 from city; highlights flood response, training and hazard-mitigation work",515,165750,681110,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5&start=165&end=681","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5/thumbnail_165750.jpg","/articles/6070946/Dubuque-City/Dubuque-County/Iowa/Emergency-management-seeks-116400-from-city-highlights-flood-response-training-and-hazard-mitigation-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070946-429c41e5d1f0f9e04f995da84d4ff469/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168741&Signature=MP42cjfvNkfc-vcKzY6ovYW7nYpCkYatPkQDHSFMqedSE2D4S4xd3b39XEgzK9C46y~OuHu0SYhHh5Ff-48j7PlP1~h-1W4eh~JGkUqh-ZmqGy5c1~wA3y0huxbdiudZNnge9EOSVv231UuMy5UUcj6Avd16UFmmLS9js6qZDNyd4VepYY98p~r-Z7sGIUcqnJOoFyNf018n6-WnCxd3F09jA7giYhWAnx1ouV7BzFJSJlvMJAd1Qom5cRPiV36cxykcEOCgSVSVeO8U~oTbhzC408HfMwP0sXD9PMzag8GIZHKBOnTNZyuJ6HDbD72QP6ZDd~qI~W56byuwB0z85Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Berger, Dubuque County Emergency Management Coordinator, told the City Council April 10 that the Emergency Management Commission is asking the City of Dubuque for $116,400 in FY26 property-tax support and reviewed last year’s flood and storm responses and ongoing mitigation work.

“We continue to build resiliency for our communities by planning for a responding to mitigating recovering from disasters,” Berger said, identifying the commission’s statutory structure under Iowa Code chapter 29C and saying the commission includes mayors of county cities and county officials.

Berger reviewed 2024 work including Mississippi River flood response that yielded a presidential disaster declaration, a full-county exercise at Epworth Elementary that involved more than 100 responders, rescue task-force and joint training with police, sheriff and fire departments, and approval of a FEMA hazard mitigation plan that will remain valid for five years. He said district mutual-aid relationships (district 6) and county training capacity are critical because the emergency management office is a small, single-person operation.

Berger described continuing priorities: maintaining outdoor warning sirens (the existing sirens are decades old), upgrades to the 9-1-1 communications center, ongoing NIMS/ICS training, hazardous-materials planning with rail and river partners, and completing a grant-funded hazard analysis and risk assessment by June 30. He said the federal Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) pass-through to local offices has been capped for top counties at about $39,000 for many years and that the commission relies on a city/county split for the remainder (city 60% / county 40% by population share) to balance the budget.

Council members asked for details about the EMPG cap and how state decisions determine pass-through amounts; Berger said the state receives roughly $4.5 million and distributes roughly half and that the top 10–11 counties receive a capped amount. He also told the council the commission is pursuing renewing “StormReady” certification from the National Weather Service and seeks to continue cooperation with the 9-1-1 board and local public-safety agencies.

Berger closed by citing performance measures and training requirements and invited questions; no public input was recorded at the hearing.","Dubuque County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Berger presented the commission’s FY26 request, emphasized last year’s flood response and hazard-mitigation planning, and asked the city for $116,400 in support of countywide emergency management operations.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6070951,"Council sets April 28 public hearing on fiscal 2026 city budget",143,7769,150910,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5&start=7&end=150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5/thumbnail_7769.jpg","/articles/6070951/Dubuque-City/Dubuque-County/Iowa/Council-sets-April-28-public-hearing-on-fiscal-2026-city-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070951-6c09fd79ed068f11982bce008e6376e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168741&Signature=MS1MfyWkrUIOy9tT-HCB1Lz-HNGg0P~-Gk1EOIhLqApi7yhbf2RCZq9qaI5ooqsLSv8QGr-MAnEwU8nQk3DJDFtysTQCXijtc9ZHU48XC~u~YyZFwTBx6vFbJ5L-RbBRc2TblLaRI0TEqNKAg6kTIgOSTqkbfpZcMNP391ka67BMK-AIolo6u07g4bKBlnypIPfF0JkpXqzvnx9O-qYwS2tJGDBudB~jEXA8QxsGc52HqOSwpEPeKQ4m3ehh32gaBgO18oLYakJxlITLLtcEIBTK587tu9cr~N78r0hu73rz7rEIdXeUdZnyOKzYgDX19N05TfNXI3V1046VumnT9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dubuque City Council voted unanimously April 10 to receive and file city budget documents, adopt related resolutions and set a public hearing on the fiscal year 2026 city budget for April 28.

The action came at the start of a special session convened in the historic Federal Building. City Clerk Adrianne Breitfelder was directed to call the hearing and Mayor Cavanagh led a roll call that recorded six ayes: Cavanagh, Farber, Jones, Resnick, Sprank and Wethal. The motion was announced as passing 6-0.

Council members then moved into scheduled budget presentations from public safety and emergency services departments. The April 28 public hearing will provide a formal opportunity for public comment on the FY26 proposals and appropriations.

The meeting record shows the council adopted the related resolutions at the same time it set the hearing; no additional conditions or amendments were recorded at that vote.

The public hearing date and procedural steps now stand as the official next step in the FY26 budget schedule.","The Dubuque City Council voted 6-0 on April 10 to receive budget documents, adopt associated resolutions and set a public hearing on the fiscal 2026 city budget for April 28.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6070931,"Fire department highlights station-location study, EMS revenue and equipment upgrades; requests preplan software support",773,5059540,5833110,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5&start=5059&end=5833","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5/thumbnail_5059540.jpg","/articles/6070931/Dubuque-City/Dubuque-County/Iowa/Fire-department-highlights-station-location-study-EMS-revenue-and-equipment-upgrades-requests-preplan-software-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070931-7b322fed449d3d6eab2a9a2dcf766034/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168741&Signature=YoOdRVAr16IfY0QsxqlpzVD1eQEEmh0qAWypFcHqlqrG5MJWLABsLlzAU2~lEhF46LXHxbuKYDsgByo0PZ~CDzaspkl63xqw2QfLVK4Zxn6~OWy-6b7hRIbB2kzjGfaMwgCnlklTnwjaA0V9cG-1pxi-eRPpNTBqUY7kXevuKydPPBDW5tGrflq2-H9RUQFzuydFqeJMZ16e3oOyeEXQtOI3iVcMYxPTRdHHzbEerq1K1nPffJ7pk64I6pGESiibqWB7105hmJ53T0u42D7Fj0hhUrc0Jm9g3wjEhXaEHuT4znGSdntVIO0iRQnLZIHr7wHh1CPcdyRry15St85y2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fire Chief Amy Schaller presented the Fire Department’s FY26 budget and priorities to the council on April 10, outlining staffing, response metrics, vehicle and facility capital projects, EMS revenue and a planned station-location study.

“Our mission statement is to protect, assist, and educate our community and visitors with pride, skill, and compassion,” Schaller said as she summarized accomplishments and accreditation work. She reported 104.16 full‑time equivalents (an increase from recent years) and described new training capacity at the county training center, additions of one frontline ambulance in 2023 that expanded ambulance coverage to three units, and an added fire‑prevention inspector that boosted inspection totals.

Schaller said a 30‑second reduction in dispatch call-handling times—an improvement the department has been working on with Emergency Communications—changes the mapping and recommended placements in the station-location study now underway. She called the station‑location study critical because effective response benchmarks (first unit on scene and effective response force) are sensitive to small changes in call handling and turnout time.

On EMS funding, Schaller explained ambulance cost recovery and payer mix: Medicare, Medicaid and private pay compose the revenue mix and the department projects roughly $4.17 million in ambulance billing and cost-recovery revenue for FY26. She described the Medicaid GEMT process (ground emergency medical transport) and cost-reporting steps used to capture reimbursement and said the department regularly reviews billing contracts and cost reports to maximize reimbursement.

Capital work and completed CIPs were listed: new engines and an upcoming truck delivery, station roofs and generator replacements, ambulance deliveries, a fire boat in the 2026 CIP, and station kitchen and exhaust-system upgrades. Improvement-request items for FY26 included annual support for the preplanned building software (the tool that places building preplans on CAD and field terminals) and accreditation site-visit preparations for 2026.

Performance metrics she cited included a high call volume (7,996 calls in 2024), a cardiac-survivability metric (survivability-to-discharge counts), structure-fire containment in the room of origin about 80% of the time and ongoing goals for first-unit-on-scene times. Schaller closed by thanking the council for past and continued support for equipment and training.","Fire Chief Amy Schaller presented the FY26 fire budget April 10, reported increased staffing to 104.16 FTEs, emphasized a station-location study (affected by a 30‑second call-handling improvement), highlighted EMS cost-recovery revenue and requested recurring support for preplanned building software and accreditation site visit funding.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6070936,"Police outline wage plan, recruitment progress and tech investments; requests SRO camera funding",202,3256580,3458870,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5&start=3256&end=3458","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048908-7206ae866fb246afa5defa4902d08da5/thumbnail_3256580.jpg","/articles/6070936/Dubuque-City/Dubuque-County/Iowa/Police-outline-wage-plan-recruitment-progress-and-tech-investments-requests-SRO-camera-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070936-915a5eccd1ca55d77531dcb883dc4f11/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168741&Signature=RdbP-Ij9YqFII0OSvYJ8Wcv-LdhodvpYa~TpglD~qoazU9ry98Co1JFqIYmNEBEmLOYwBbzykleh3nSiuWqwi-WQBRO7atpDsNj9pwH3PY006cNwDUW3ZnIjLH0XxLcJCT3-WEDo~kBzuzz~EBO1QxYbGCo85AmZ0Bx5Ey46r~k5a6bE0hP6q2-sApLu4MpJvB90gv~DZfbAQUFpvSzl63iDWpzSTQlu3v~1tpjeik24LX2jXqbKOF6uoXs1sz5eZpv0bMdTh3v57JHDbIe~3b4yDxMTqFBsShrzoXXkra1oLWVRCl4xLt-rEyKf93QU3pCCgrO2idh4qlLp3obX6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Assistant Chief Joe Messerch presented the Police Department’s FY26 budget to the council April 10, emphasizing recruitment, retention, new technology and non‑sworn staffing additions.

Messerch described a multi-year wage strategy that increased pay steps to improve retention and said FY26 adjustments will further move the department toward a competitive 50th-percentile benchmark. “When an officer is hitting that 4 year mark, they know that they've still got pay steps in front of them,” Messerch said, explaining part of the plan to reduce turnover of more senior officers.

He reported authorized sworn strength of 109 officers for FY26 (a technical reduction from FY25 to reallocate vacant non‑sworn positions to the Precision Policing Center) and actual on‑the‑street strength near the mid‑90s (95 at the time of the presentation, rising with hired recruits and offset by pending retirements). Messerch described 14 sworn vacancies at budget snapshot and outlined recruitment activity: applications are up, but only 29 candidates reached certification lists and 11 job offers were rescinded after background checks.

The department has added non‑sworn roles: a computer‑forensics non‑sworn position, crime analysts and PPC technicians. Messerch said the newly filled crime-analyst position will improve crime-data insights. He also summarized major programs—crisis intervention, school resource officers (SROs) and community engagement—and said resolution and clearance rates compare favorably with state and national benchmarks.

The department’s FY26 property-tax request was presented and Messerch identified one improvement package for FY26: recurring funding for SRO vehicle cameras ($16,000 recurring) to provide SROs the same in-vehicle camera tools used by patrol officers. Messerch said computers had been funded previously and cameras are the remaining gap.

Council members praised the department’s training and community engagement record and asked for a follow-up report on taser use and other operational items; Messerch said the department can provide that information.","Assistant Chief Joe Messerch presented the Police Department FY26 budget, described recruitment and retention steps including a revised wage plan, new non-sworn forensic and analyst positions, staffing levels, and a recurring request to outfit school resource officer vehicles with cameras.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Emergency communications seeks county share, new communication center and CAD upgrade; requests one full-time dispatcher, prepared-live upgrade

Emergency management seeks $116,400 from city; highlights flood response, training and hazard-mitigation work

Council sets April 28 public hearing on fiscal 2026 city budget

Fire department highlights station-location study, EMS revenue and equipment upgrades; requests preplan software support

Police outline wage plan, recruitment progress and tech investments; requests SRO camera funding