Ogden fire chief details budget reallocations, resuscitation gains and warns of House Bill 48 wildfire fees

Ogden — Chief Kevin, Ogden Fire Department, on Tuesday presented the department's proposed budget adjustments and performance report to the Ogden City Council, highlighting improved cardiac arrest outcomes, requests to fund redundant turnout gear and training infrastructure, and a proposed color-coded fire-restrictions ordinance designed to give residents clearer, graded limits as wildfire risk changes.

The chief told the council the department is not asking for a general increase to the city's general fund beyond cost-of-living and merit adjustments and that some spending changes are being handled through internal reallocations. "We are not asking for any generalized increases in the general fund except for the merit increases or the cost-of-living increases for employees," Chief Kevin said.

Why it matters: The department requested a series of targeted increases and one-time uses of medical-fund balance to pay for firefighter safety and readiness measures including $500,000 for a second set of turnout gear for every firefighter, $1.5 million in major medical-equipment/CIP requests (including a training tower), and continuing support for a newly staffed homeless medical advocate program. Chief Kevin also warned that House Bill 48, passed by the Utah Legislature in March, will mean some property owners in high-risk areas could receive new tax assessments next year tied to wildland-interface risk.

Key budget and safety proposals Chief Kevin described how departmental resources are being realigned to emphasize performance measures tied to public safety and firefighter health. Among the priorities he outlined: purchasing a second set of turnout gear for every firefighter to reduce on-scene contamination and long-term cancer risk; creating a modest contingency for ambulance and medical-equipment replacement; and earmarking funds for radio replacement and station infrastructure (roof/exhaust system) upgrades. He said the onetime cost to outfit a second set of turnouts is large but necessary: "What we're trying to do is buy a second set of turnouts for every single firefighter so they can always have a clean set so they're ready to go," he said.

Resuscitation and response performance Chief Kevin presented outcome data the department characterized as improving since 2020. He highlighted higher rates of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and improved hospital discharge rates for cardiac-arrest patients. He credited programs including PulsePoint (a mobile alerting app for nearby trained responders), mechanical CPR devices, broader AED availability and closer coordination with hospitals. He said average paramedic response time within the city is about 4 minutes 22 seconds and ambulance arrival averages 5 minutes 11 seconds, both within commonly used benchmarks, while noting data collection can be affected by human-recording practices and technical limitations.

Homeless medical advocate and diversion work The department has funded a homeless medical advocate through the homeless mitigation grant; the chief said the position began in mid-February and has already affected call patterns near the shelter. "So far this year we've had 337 calls there, which is integrated with our homeless medical advocate," he said, adding that the program has transported fewer shelter clients to emergency departments as on-site care and referrals increase. The chief said the city is evaluating whether the position should be expanded beyond 40 hours a week to provide more evening and weekend coverage.

Fire restrictions ordinance and House Bill 48 Fire Marshal Kevin presented a proposed amendment to local fire-restriction rules that would use a color-coded scale (for example: yellow, orange, red) to indicate allowable activities as conditions change, and would align local messaging with federal agencies. He described the color system as an effort to make public communications clearer and faster to distribute. On state-level changes, he summarized House Bill 48: "House Bill 48 says that starting next year, starting in 2026, there are people in Ogden that are gonna get their tax assessment, and they will have a fee on there for being in a wildland or interface area," he said. The chief said the state is still defining the mapping and fee details but warned council members to expect questions from constituents who may receive new assessments.

Council reaction and open issues Council members asked about the proposed allocations for turnout replacement, station exhaust upgrades and the timeline for the training tower project. Some members urged stricter limits on consumer aerial fireworks as a way to reduce wildfire risk; at least one council member argued aerial fireworks pose an outsized danger in the wildland-urban interface. The chief and councilors discussed how the city would coordinate with county and state agencies on HB48 implementation, including whether assessment appeals or in‑person property evaluations will be funded or handled locally.

What happens next There was no vote on budget items or the draft ordinance during the work session; the chief advised the council the fire-restrictions language is an amendment under consideration and that the state will provide additional guidance on HB48. The department will return with more detailed cost estimates, timelines and ordinance language for formal consideration.