[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6534266,"mediaKeyId","3633545-41db78b3a370c530b1cc4b251299a8d5","parentId",3633545,"title","Firefighters, union leaders tell High Point council staffing levels put crews and residents at risk","audioSeconds",3193,"startMs",2127000,"endMs",5320000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3633545-41db78b3a370c530b1cc4b251299a8d5&start=2127&end=5320","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3633545-41db78b3a370c530b1cc4b251299a8d5/thumbnail_2127000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6534266/High-Point/Guilford-County/North-Carolina/Firefighters-union-leaders-tell-High-Point-council-staffing-levels-put-crews-and-residents-at-risk","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6534266-16a438e686fe7693ba940894908f49df/orig.mp4?Expires=1770928122&Signature=mL~3R7GjytBbyEkcYwYH3OrILQ1~lrsJcHvGHuzELvXGqfCin~ZlKBLeCnzAgGch7c5GoYMz~Gb~EAs9DGw3fRLPJo5xHHHZ0lkCw6qJW~X5iz~SgOvuwRpmdYMXdvJTUjZpEXAHAP~Zaw~X6EvR5LYjO0OY32xZ3pgeqwbdotKnr6Ezx-9yr95fmLiDt7uKIOkXwH~5BeZuR84ByU6sgG9dfeSgEIVx9ez~hSVeegJPZhyxpCrVur3mGc2URoe5kFtlc79n~nE861VtFfW2M24GHMrbK7uFYTNyA1wIveczH7e7X~vNK0wExAhELf~JgtyqiF1QdcTpZBMRONz4-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","High Point","date","2025-06-03T11:25:19Z","article","Multiple current and former firefighters and representatives of firefighter organizations urged the High Point City Council on Monday to address what they described as a staffing crisis in the High Point Fire Department, saying persistent understaffing reduces safety for residents and for firefighters.

The concerns were raised during the public comment period. Scott Mullins, president of the Professional Firefighters & Paramedics in North Carolina, cited National Institute of Standards and Technology research and urged the city to maintain four-person fire crews, saying the evidence shows larger crews complete critical tasks faster and more safely. \"4 person firefighting crews can complete 22 essential firefighting and rescue tasks in a typical residential structure 30% faster than 2 person crews and 25% faster than 3 person crews,\" Mullins said.

Union representatives and former firefighters gave consistent accounts of recent operational impacts. Robert Templeton, who said he represents the High Point Professional Firefighters Association, told council: \"If this council doesn't act, we are 1 incident away from a serious injury or, God forbid, a line of duty death. ... We are insisting on 3 things, full funding for fire equipment, and training, NFPA compliant staffing of 4 person per apparatus, and end of unsafe practices doing more with less.\" Templeton said heavy rescue and air-resource units have been taken out of service when staffing fell short.

Former and current department members described specific operational effects. Michael Kellum (stated in testimony as a High Point firefighter) said some stations were unstaffed on days when, he argued, they should have been available. Scott Stanley, a former firefighter, said he left the department partly because of an enduring culture that he described as punitive toward employees who raised safety concerns. Robert Nichols Jr., a retired firefighter, described how three-person crews can struggle to perform simultaneous tasks such as interior firefighting and CPR: \"3 can't do it because you got 1 who's driving the engine... these guys work overtime...you're putting them at risk.\"

Speakers repeatedly referenced NFPA 1710, the National Fire Protection Association staffing guideline recommending minimum crew sizes, and criticized an internal message by the fire chief that the department was \"plus 3 on staffing\" at a prior committee meeting. \"How can that be true?\" Stanley asked, noting that equipment had been taken out of service when staffing was insufficient.

What council said and asked staff to do: Council members thanked the speakers and repeatedly asked staff for comparative data. Council Member Andrew requested a comparison with similarly sized municipalities in North Carolina on staffing and training metrics and said he wanted detail on how the city's staffing and training compare with peer cities. The city manager said staff already began looking at staffing concerns in October 2024 and agreed to prepare further analysis.

Requests and outcomes: Members of the public and union representatives requested three primary outcomes: (1) staffing to meet NFPA 1710 minimums (four personnel per apparatus), (2) full funding for training and equipment, and (3) an independent review of leadership/culture in the fire department. Council did not take an immediate vote or adopt a formal resolution addressing these requests during the meeting; instead, members asked staff to compile the comparative staffing/training analysis and indicated they would review the information and consider further action, including potential budget amendments.

Why it matters: Speakers and council members described the issue as a public-safety concern that affects response times, firefighter safety and insurance underwriting for properties. Council members said the budget is already adopted for the coming year, but can be amended and that staff follow-up is necessary before the council considers structural or policy changes.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","High Point City Council Meeting | 6-2-25 | 5:30 p.m.","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple current and former firefighters and union representatives told the council that several apparatus were operating with fewer than four-person crews, urged adherence to NFPA 1710 staffing guidance and asked council to investigate leadership and staffing decisions.","taxTitle","High Point, Guilford County, North Carolina","taxId",4908,"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},6534271,"High Point City Council adopts FY2025-26 budget, approves nonprofit allocations and several agency budgets",2355,3924000,6279000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3633545-41db78b3a370c530b1cc4b251299a8d5&start=3924&end=6279","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3633545-41db78b3a370c530b1cc4b251299a8d5/thumbnail_3924000.jpg","/articles/6534271/High-Point/Guilford-County/North-Carolina/High-Point-City-Council-adopts-FY2025-26-budget-approves-nonprofit-allocations-and-several-agency-budgets","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6534271-ed8255f41ac9e089033b8b67ff61c9ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770928122&Signature=a4jkAguVYY~W8Rg7oJaSd4Qb0G3H1sO-oIpI0H23IIhiT7eYU9naXUIPXZ58HucJFKzaSpSTx~FWU9cz2kjXXOQO~mlAeE9V~ot5lhp9Jk8YQoNlD9964XKRK5rKk7jmCei~L8dao6Hj8q3m7vi1vjOFCaBnOqxJC~ZcXXGV1D3-dRN4nHXVCx8jUT8-xdG9mv0OzNRSFYSgkfsC873oCPsY6VyaFKEH9WTY4jzghhUYkiJ0qb5kwcZ2Sy58yhgAK1C6q9qOd1rRLZplljwG8FEofS6sfmZF9TpE9N5HZIDCyWU0PQFNxPPtfqAiWYrgzxB5v9QsqUrbdmyQfVXH4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","High Point City Council on Monday approved its FY2025-26 annual budget and a set of outside agency funding allocations, including a $50,000 general-fund allocation to the Southwestern Newell (Southwest) Renewal Foundation. Council also approved budget ordinances for Downtown High Point, the High Point International Home Furnishings Market Authority and Visit High Point, with several council members recusing themselves from specific votes.

The budget passed after a substitute motion to include a $50,000 allocation for the Southwest Renewal Foundation was made and seconded; council members voted “aye” and the motion carried. Council also finalized outside nonprofit allocations in a sequence of votes that excluded organizations where council members declared conflicts of interest and recorded recusals in the minutes.

Why it matters: The budget is the city’s primary spending plan for the coming year. Council members and public speakers used the adoption discussion to request follow-up work and to press for further attention to public-safety staffing and housing-related assistance that were not fully resolved during the budget process.

Council action and process details: Mayor Cyril Jefferson opened the meeting and the council approved the agenda at the start of the session (motion by Council Member Holmes; second by Mayor Pro Tem Tim Moore). The consent agenda passed without recorded opposition.

The council heard a staff presentation and voted to provide a favorable recommendation to the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee to list Roberts Hall at High Point University on the National Register of Historic Places; the Historic Preservation Commission had previously voted unanimously to recommend approval.

Recusals and outside-agency votes: Several council members recused themselves where they serve as governing-board members of nonprofit agencies. The clerk recorded recusals before votes. The council took separate votes on (a) the general set of outside nonprofit allocations (excluding organizations with recusals) and (b) the specific allocations for organizations where a recusal applied. The council approved the allocations in each recorded vote. The council explicitly accepted recusals for Friends of John Coltrane, Greater High Point Food Alliance, Macedonia Family Resource Center, High Point Schools Partnership and for the Downtown High Point and Visit High Point votes where board service required abstention.

Southwest Renewal Foundation allocation: Council Member Peters moved to restore $50,000 to the budget for the Southwestern Newell Renewal Foundation (often described in meeting materials as Southwest Renewal Foundation); a substitute motion to approve the budget including that $50,000 allocation passed. The manager and several council members described the foundation’s recent role in securing grant awards that support infrastructure and sewer projects.

Budget conversation and follow-up commitments: During debate, several council members — including Council Member Cook and Council Member Andrew — pressed for staff follow-up. Council Member Cook asked that staff continue to pursue ARPA-eligible uses to assist organizations that applied for funding after the nonprofit allocation window closed. Council Member Andrew and others asked staff to compile comparative data about fire-department staffing and training so council could evaluate whether changes to staffing practice or additional resources are needed. The city manager said staff would analyze staffing issues and report back to council.

Votes at a glance:
- FY2025-26 annual budget (substitute motion to include $50,000 for Southwest Renewal Foundation): motion made by Council Member Peters; second received; outcome: approved.
- Outside nonprofit allocations (initial group): motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Moore; second by Council Member Andrew; outcome: approved (excluded organizations with recusals).
- Friends of John Coltrane and Greater High Point Food Alliance: motion by Council Member Holmes; second by Council Member Johnson; outcome: approved (Council Member Harmon recused).
- Macedonia Family Resource Center allocation: motion by Mayor Pro Tem Moore; second by Council Member Peters; outcome: approved (Council Member Johnson recused).
- High Point Schools Partnership allocation: motion by Mayor Pro Tem Moore (carried by others while mayor recused); outcome: approved (Mayor Cyril Jefferson recused).
- Downtown High Point FY25-26 budget ordinance: motion to approve; outcome: approved (Council Member Harmon recused).
- High Point International Home Furnishings Market Authority budget: motion to approve; outcome: approved (Mayor recused and other recusals recorded as noted).
- Visit High Point (Convention & Visitors Bureau) budget: motion to approve; outcome: approved (Council Member Peters recused).
- Recommendation to list Roberts Hall on the National Register of Historic Places: motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Moore; second by Council Member Johnson; outcome: approved (staff and Historic Preservation Commission had recommended approval).

What council did not decide tonight: No formal, immediate funding commitments beyond the adopted budget were made for the eviction-mediation program discussed by Council Member Cook; council members asked staff to pursue follow-up and to return with any feasible options. Council also did not enact a change to fire-department staffing practices during the meeting; members requested comparative staffing and training data before taking further action.

Next steps: Staff will prepare follow-up analyses that council requested — notably comparative data on fire-department staffing and training, and further consideration of ARPA and grant-funded options for nonprofit program support. Council will consider those analyses in future meetings and through budget amendments if warranted.

","The High Point City Council approved its FY2025-26 annual budget, authorized $50,000 for the Southwest Renewal Foundation and finalized outside nonprofit allocations and several agency budgets after votes that included recusals by council members with board ties.","actionData","errors"]

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Firefighters, union leaders tell High Point council staffing levels put crews and residents at risk

High Point City Council adopts FY2025-26 budget, approves nonprofit allocations and several agency budgets