Oshkosh Fire Department budget: separation of EMS, proposed fourth ambulance and a $7 million training center

Fire Chief Stanley and fire department staff told the council the city is separating emergency medical services (EMS) accounting from the general fund to show the true cost of ambulance operations and improve transparency for contracted townships.

Chief Stanley said the department is preparing to add a fourth ambulance mid‑2025. That change would add eight full‑time firefighter‑paramedic positions and was included in the budget and the proposed per‑capita charges for municipalities that contract EMS through Oshkosh.

Finance Director Julie Thomas explained the revenue implications in the budget packet: under the contract formula that would have produced about $416,824 in per‑capita revenue under the preexisting schedule, the budget now shows higher collected revenue tied to the fourth ambulance and an estimate of roughly $815,662 in per‑capita receipts once the change is fully implemented. Thomas said the budget also reflects vacancy savings (about $200,000) because the eight new hires will be added mid‑year rather than on Jan. 1.

Chief Stanley said the ambulance capital costs will be amortized across the municipalities that use the service; staff told council the apparatus replacement will be recovered over nine years (the vehicle life for billing), reducing immediate capital pressure on the general fund.

Training center: the largest capital request tied to the fire department in the 2025 CIP is for a long‑planned training center at the former armory, 221 North Sawyer. Chief Stanley told council staff nearly completed design work and that the project now appears in the CIP at approximately $7 million (council members had seen earlier estimates near $5.6 million and later referenced a $7.7 million figure in the discussion). The chief said the larger figure reflects rising construction costs and the fact the scope covers the entire site, not just interior renovation — including vehicle hardscape, training props and support spaces that reduce the need to acquire a new site.

Council questions focused on recruiting and the department’s ability to hire eight paramedic firefighters amid a national workforce shortage. The chief said timing is deliberate: adding positions mid‑year aligns with the graduation cycle from training programs and improves the chance of filling positions. He also described ongoing recruitment and tuition‑assistance efforts to expand the local talent pipeline.

Next steps: chief and finance staff said they’d continue to refine the cost model and capital amortization schedule; council members asked for clearer year‑by‑year illustrations of the per‑capita impacts in 2025–2027 and for follow‑up on whether training‑center rental revenue (if any) would meaningfully offset operating costs. Chief Stanley said he does not anticipate large rental revenues because the primary purpose of the facility is for daily firefighter training.