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Fire chief outlines staffing, Station 21 impact, fire-assessment study and equipment plans
Summary
Fire Chief Shepherd briefed the City Commission that Station 21’s opening has reduced some dispatches, the department will negotiate an Alachua County interlocal contract, plans to present fire-assessment fee changes in June, and is budgeting for a medium-duty rescue, preventive vehicle maintenance and bunker-gear replacement.
Fire Chief Shepherd told the High Springs City Commission at a budget workshop that the department’s budget will reflect operational shifts after Station 21 opened, planned negotiations with Alachua County, and investments in equipment and training.
“Station 21 opened about 2 weeks ago,” Chief Shepherd said, and the department has seen a spike in calls it would previously have been dispatched to because the closest-unit response sends some calls to the new station. Shepherd said he has a meeting with Chief Thias of Alachua County to begin negotiating the interlocal agreement and is “looking at a couple of different other means to grab money from that contract.”
Shepherd said several revenue lines will change because the city now controls fire inspections and plans review that previously went to the county; those fees will come into the city’s fire department. He also summarized a recently completed fire-assessment study and said he can now increase the…
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