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Fire department requests replacement SCBAs, monitors and expanded paramedic training in 2025 budget
Summary
Fire Chief Prince told trustees the department will prioritize staffing, paramedic training, equipment replacement (including 75 SCBAs and 10 cardiac monitors) and station planning; several items noted as high-cost with limited grant availability.
West Chester Township Fire Chief Prince told trustees during the Jan. 21 work session that the 2025 fire and EMS budget prioritizes staffing, paramedic training, equipment replacement and longer-term station planning.
Chief Prince described call-volume growth — 8,957 calls in 2024 versus 8,648 in 2023 — and said the department expects continued increases as the township ages in place and develops more multifamily and senior housing. “We are approaching 10,000 calls for service, which equates to about 27 to 30 calls a day,” Prince said.
Equipment and training items Prince highlighted for 2025 included:
- Replacing 10 cardiac monitors at an estimated cost of $555,268; Prince said the new monitors would also increase billing capability by about $300 per patient. - Replacing 75 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) at an estimated cost of $800,000; Prince said existing SCBAs are 15 years old, experiencing failures and spare packs are nearly exhausted. He noted NFPA standard changes in 2025 affect replacement options. - Budgeting $50,000 to send five firefighters to paramedic school in 2025 (about $10,000 per firefighter), with Chief Prince describing paramedic training as important for recruitment and retention. - Continuing the fire department accreditation process with a target of achieving accreditation in 2026.
Prince said the department sought a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant for SCBA replacement in 2024 but was rejected, and he attributed the denial in part to the township’s relatively stable fiscal position compared with needier applicants. “There were no grants available that would cover that cost,” he said.
On station planning, Prince said conversations about relocating or adding stations (notably Stations 4 and 5 and a possible sixth station) are ongoing and that property acquisition should be considered sooner rather than later given development and land availability. He described a multi-year lead time for apparatus procurement and recommended securing property if the township intends to locate new stations.
Trustees asked about retention and levy health; Prince and Ken characterized the fire fund as healthy for now but noted a future levy might be needed around 2027–2028 if trends continue. No formal funding decisions were made at the work session; purchases and large capital items will return to trustees for separate approvals.
