Committee reviews ordinance to add one EMS specialist funded from non‑area‑wide balance

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Finance Committee reviewed an ordinance to appropriate funds from the non‑area‑wide fund balance to the Emergency Operations Department to fund an additional full-time equivalent position in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) division.

Luke Butcher, director of Emergency Operations, said the position — titled Emergency Operations Specialist in staff materials — is intended to provide continuity while the emergency services manager takes a multi-month military leave and to add longer-term capacity for radio inventory and FCC-licensing work, fire service-area commission support, real-property inventory, mass‑care equipment renewal and development of an active‑shooter policy. Butcher said the EMS division currently has limited dedicated FTEs and the gap has produced a backlog of projects.

Funding and cost

The ordinance text presented to the committee listed an appropriation (the ordinance language stated $16,170). In the staff presentation Butcher described the appropriation for the remainder of the fiscal year as "a little bit more than $16,000" and said the ongoing annual cost for next year would be approximately $105,000 (salary and benefits). The funding source identified was the non‑area‑wide fund balance; staff said the current non‑area‑wide fund balance is more than $3,000,000.

Scope of work

Butcher described several duties for the new specialist: inventorying and renewing radios and FCC licenses, tracking repeaters and aging towers, supporting fire service-area commission administration (agendas/minutes/commission onboarding), cataloging borough real property and surplus and renewing equipment in the borough's mass-casualty trailers. He said the specialist would help the Emergency Services Manager and improve the borough's ability to sustain capital projects and compliance with evolving radio standards (TDMA compliance was discussed).

Committee questions and clarifications

Assembly members asked how the non‑area‑wide fund is used and which jurisdictions benefit. Staff explained the non‑area‑wide fund derives from property taxes collected outside the cities of Fairbanks and North Pole and covers emergency management, emergency medical services and certain economic development activity. Staff clarified that fire service areas are separate taxing jurisdictions and that the position cannot charge administrative costs directly to those fire service-area budgets unless an arrangement is made; however, the position would support EMS programs that serve areas outside the cities and could touch contracted services provided by municipalities such as the City of North Pole. Finance staff provided the non‑area‑wide mill rate as 0.576.

Temporary versus permanent and hiring

Committee members pressed on whether the position was temporary to cover leave or intended as an ongoing addition. Butcher said the initial appropriation addresses immediate needs while the manager is on military leave but the intent is for the position to provide long‑term capacity; next‑year costs would be budgeted in the regular process. Staff confirmed they will not advertise or hire the position until the appropriation is approved.

Next steps

The committee discussion did not include a recorded committee vote in the excerpt. Staff said presentation slides and more detailed budget worksheets would be included in committee materials to facilitate Thursday's meeting.