Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fire Emergency Medical Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Burnsville council approves budget amendment to accelerate hiring of six firefighter-paramedics to 2025
Summary
The City Council approved a budget amendment to move six firefighter-paramedic positions from 2026 into 2025, funded by operational savings; the hires will be staggered with three in summer and three in fall to address rising call volume and reduce overtime.
The Burnsville City Council on Tuesday approved a budget amendment to accelerate the hiring of six firefighter-paramedics into 2025, moving those full-time equivalents originally planned for 2026 into this year.
Fire Chief BJ Jongman told the council the department has seen a 34% increase in call volume since 2020 and used overtime to cover vacancies and long-term absences. "Last year, we were shy of 10,000 calls by, like, a hundred and we're at 9,800 and some odd calls," Chief BJ Jongman said.
Chief Jongman said staff would stagger the six hires — three in the summer and three in the fall — and that the cost would be covered by 2025 operational savings rather than new appropriations. The department reported a fully staffed complement of 55 personnel, with a minimum of nine on duty 24 hours a day between two stations.
Council members praised the department's breadth of services, which the chief described as including fire suppression, advanced life-support ambulance transport (about 80% of call volume), rescue services and prevention activities such as inspections and public education. Council Member Keeley and others noted heavy reliance on overtime and frequent mandates; the chief said captains averaged roughly 16 mandated overtime shifts last year.
There was a motion and a second to approve the amendment; members answered "aye" and the mayor announced the motion carried. The transcript does not record individual vote tallies or the names of the maker and seconder.
The council's action followed city policy that changes in FTE require a budget amendment. The chief said an updated standards-of-cover report and five-year organizational analysis are expected in the coming month and will inform staffing beyond 2025.
Council members thanked firefighters for their service and asked the department to continue tracking call volume and overtime as the new positions are filled.
