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Council reviews 2025 fire department budget; approves most line items after adjustments
Summary
Council discussed the Township of Washington Fire Department 2025 budget in detail — line-item reviews covered radios, training, turnout gear, generator and building maintenance, vehicle repairs and fuel. Council approved recommended amounts for most lines; a handful of adjustments were moved and recorded by roll call.
The Township of Washington Council spent the bulk of its March 3 meeting reviewing the proposed 2025 budget for the fire department, discussing line items ranging from radios and turnout gear to generator maintenance and vehicle repairs.
Township Administrator Mark DiCarlo and fire department representatives reviewed each budget line, explained larger-than-expected 2024 expenses and recommended funding levels for 2025. Key requested and recommended amounts discussed in public included: portable radios (recommended $9,500), swift-water-operations training (requested $4,505; recommended $4,500), turnout gear replacement (requested $25,000), vehicle equipment and repair (requested $30,000), and fire hydrant service (projected $168,000 with Veolia). The council also reviewed line items for office supplies, uniforms and safety equipment, dispatch services, and testing/maintenance (hose/ladders, pumps, SCBA hydrotesting).
Several substantive points and clarifications emerged during discussion. Administrator Mark DiCarlo explained that generator load-bank testing and yearly HVAC contracts are recurring costs and that last year’s unexpected repairs and storm damage increased building maintenance expenses. On a question about the legal basis for bond borrowing discussed earlier in the meeting, DiCarlo said the township’s bond counsel advised that the Local Bond Law allows borrowing for capital improvements so long as the purpose is not a current expense.
Council members and fire representatives debated the need and scope of several line items. For swift-water operations training, the department described the difference between county-provided awareness training (free) and full operations training (contract cost about $375 per person); the department recommended funding for up to 10 personnel. For radios, the department described portable radio replacement costs and an insurance deductible that can leave the township responsible for some replacement charges.
Recorded vote and adjustments - Building maintenance and related ESB facility line: Council considered reducing the recommended total by $1,000. A motion to reduce that line by $1,000 (to $42,000) passed by roll call; Councilman Sears recused on that vote. (Roll call recorded yes votes and one recusal.) - Gasoline and diesel: A motion to return the gasoline/diesel line to the 2024 level ($6,000) was moved and seconded and carried by roll call.
Other line items — including turnout gear replacement ($25,000), vehicle repair and equipment ($30,000), dispatch services ($2,500 recommended) and testing/maintenance lines — were presented, discussed and approved as presented, with council members asking the department to provide audit trails and quotes for large purchases prior to invoices being issued.
Why it matters: The fire department budget drives readiness and response capability for the township’s emergency services — funding for training, radios, turnout gear and vehicle maintenance directly affects operational capacity and safety for both first responders and residents.
What’s next: Department staff said they will provide specific quotes or audit-trail documentation for several items (radios, generator/load testing, hydrant lists from Veolia) as follow-up. The council expected to complete the balance of municipal budget deliberations at upcoming meetings and to finalize the municipal budget during the regular budget process.
