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Council debates request to post two full‑time firefighter positions; staff asked to refine job details and consider culture assessment
Summary
Council members discussed a proposal to post for two full‑time firefighter positions and broader options including a duty‑crew model, an administrative/mentorship role, scheduled paid response hours and a department culture assessment; council did not authorize hiring and asked for more detail and follow-up.
Council members spent extensive time debating a staff proposal to post for two full‑time firefighter positions intended to increase daytime coverage and make response schedules more predictable.
Supporters said a duty‑crew or full‑time model would reduce the number of cancelled responses, increase training and mentorship opportunities and provide predictable daytime staffing that the city currently lacks under a primarily paid‑on‑call system. Several council members and the mayor also said they want clear job descriptions and explicit duties for any full‑time hires before they authorize recruitment.
Other council members urged consideration of intermediate alternatives: a single full‑time hire with targeted administrative duties that also responds to calls; formally scheduled short paid blocks for paid‑on‑call members so their shifts qualify under PERA rules; or a phased approach rather than an immediate move to two full‑time duty crews. Multiple council members asked staff to produce job descriptions and a clear work plan showing training, community outreach and measurable performance expectations attached to any new position.
Council also heard concerns about department morale and transparency. Staff suggested a third‑party culture or climate assessment to gather anonymous feedback from firefighters and identify barriers to retention, training and response reliability. That proposal received council support as a step to clarify internal concerns before making major staffing commitments.
No motion to post for the two full‑time positions was passed at the meeting. Council members asked staff to return with refined job descriptions, options that include phased models (one full‑time admin/mentorship hire vs. two duty‑crew members), clarification about PERA eligibility for scheduled paid blocks and a recommended timeline and budget impacts. Several council members emphasized they were open to hiring but only after seeing detailed job descriptions and implementation plans.
