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EMA chief urges restoration of equipment and training funds; requests AV upgrade for emergency operations center
Summary
Chief Matthews outlined multiple restorations: increased uniform and small-equipment budgets, replacement fire apparatus, additional ambulance remount and Lucas devices, and an AV overhaul for the emergency operations center.
Emergency Management Agency Chief Matthews asked the commission to restore several line items cut in the draft budget, citing wear on equipment, training needs and long lead times for ambulance remounts. "The recommended amount would have resulted in an overall budget cut of about 11% for my agency," Matthews said, and requested a smaller net reduction by restoring specific items.
Matthews asked for a higher uniform allowance because his department has 95 uniformed personnel and $325 per employee a year does not cover replacements. He requested increases to small equipment and site improvements to maintain substations and replace aging air conditioning units. He also asked the board to restore funds for a fire truck, explaining two pumpers in service are 16 and 17 years old.
On ambulance operations, Matthews sought more training money ("it costs about $2,200 to train a single person from nothing to an advanced EMT") and an additional Lucas mechanical chest-compression device to get closer to the goal of having a Lucas on each ambulance. He said Lucas units run about $20,000 each and argued the devices reduce personnel needs on prolonged resuscitation calls.
Matthews also asked for a revamp of the audio-visual system in the county emergency operations center (EOC), describing current limits that require three separate computers to put the same material on all displays and citing FEMA recommendations from graded exercises. "An upgrade is something that FEMA has recommended the last two graded exercises," he said.
Matthews closed by noting the ambulance service has generated about $1.3 million in revenue through May and reported overtime reductions of more than $300,000 this fiscal year as a sign of cost control, while warning replacement timing (remount lead times) can extend 12–16 months and produce operational stress.
No formal vote was recorded on the EMA requests; staff were asked to follow up with cost details for committee consideration.
