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Spokane Fire Department outlines staffing, overtime and response goals; chief flags limits to immediate cost savings
Summary
Fire Chief reported recruit academy hires to close FTE gap, overtime up from last year, most of the operating budget is contractual, and explained response-time targets. Chief also discussed brush‑fire deployments and said transition of 911/dispatch ("Shrek") details remain in development but he expects no degradation of service.
Spokane Fire Chief updated the Public Safety and Community Health Committee on July 14, saying the department has completed interviews for a mid‑September recruit academy that should close current full‑time equivalent (FTE) gaps and that conditional offers are being processed. Chief told the committee overtime hours are higher than a year ago—overall overtime was reported as about 20% higher and overtime hours 32% higher—partly because staffing levels have been closer to 2023 numbers after larger separations last year. "We are 20% higher than we were the same time last year," he said, and noted an earlier shift from a 70/30 split in favor of straight‑time “extra hours” to the…
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