Council hears plan to add two firefighters and upgrade radio system; staff says changes will improve staffing and coverage

Fire and public‑safety communications were the next focus in the council’s 2026 planning session.

Staff request for firefighters: Fire leadership requested adding two firefighters next year, which staff estimated would cost roughly $180,000 and would move the department toward minimum 24/7 staffing and allow multi‑company operations. The fire chief told the council that two additional personnel would improve crew safety, response capacity and the department’s ability to meet NFPA and ISO targets.

Radio infrastructure upgrade: city radio staff and the fire chief described a multi‑phase plan to replace aging radio equipment first by improving receiver installations (for example relocating and housing equipment currently in the base of water towers into weatherproof enclosures) and then adding receive sites, including a potential receive site at City Hall and coordination with Truman State University to address campus coverage. Staff noted that analog transmissions used previously would move back to digital and that some mutual‑aid partners (county fire, county ambulance) might need equipment changes if the city upgrades to digital; any partner participation would change their cost exposure and require coordination.

Why it matters: the radio system is critical for responder safety and coordination; the proposed upgrades would be phased to limit upfront capital while addressing well‑documented coverage gaps in multis­tory campus buildings and other locations. The county sheriff’s office currently operates on city frequencies under a contract; the city’s staff recommended informing county commissioners and partner agencies because commissioner budgets affect the sheriff’s ability to participate in upgrades.

Next steps: staff will return with detailed cost estimates for the radio upgrade phases and include the firefighter positions for budget consideration. Staff also planned to notify the county commissioners about expected costs and coverage findings before the 2026 budget process.