Fire chief seeks modest cuts but warns of rising overtime and apparatus costs

Fire Chief Mark Fritz presented the Auburn Fire Department’s fiscal‑year 2026 budget request to the City Council on April 10, saying the department continues to respond to structure fires, rescues and hazardous materials incidents while managing retirements and equipment needs.

Fritz said the department has 77 employees (76 uniformed), operates two stations, and ran about 8,082 calls in 2024 — roughly in line with recent years. He described the department’s multi‑role duties (fire suppression, EMS first response, tactical rescue, hazmat and fire prevention) and said staffing and overtime are the largest cost drivers in the proposed $8.7 million budget request.

Why it matters: The chief highlighted that major incidents require callback of off‑duty personnel — a single second‑alarm callback can cost about $3,000 in overtime — and that the department’s apparatus replacement costs have risen materially. He said an engine that was forecast at $600,000 several years ago is now estimated at roughly $1.2 million; an aerial platform cost estimate has grown to about $2.4 million and lead times remain three years or longer.

Details and context - Staffing and vacancies: The department reported three near‑term firefighter vacancies (two current retirements and one pending transfer) and described the certification and academy pipeline as time‑consuming; newly hired firefighters do not count as full manpower until training and field probation are complete. - Calls and missions: The chief described timely rescues (photo example of a house rescue) and noted the fire investigation team, hazmat team (38 trained members countywide) and tactical rescue capabilities (confined space, high/low angle, trench, ice and swift‑water rescue). - Overtime and training: The budget includes $300,000 for contractual overtime to maintain minimum staffing and an additional $40,000 for emergency overtime; training overtime is budgeted separately. The chief said he had cut about $93,843 from operating lines to help close the city’s budget gap. - Apparatus: The chief reiterated previous capital requests and said apparatus prices and lead times have climbed; replacing a standard engine now costs about $1.2 million, while an aerial device is estimated near $2.4 million, with order‑to‑delivery times of three years or more.

Next steps: Fritz said department leaders trimmed operating requests where possible and will continue to work with the city manager and council to finalize budget decisions. Councilors asked about hiring lists and the cost per callback for major incidents; the chief said hiring will follow civil‑service lists and that second‑alarm callbacks average roughly $3,000.