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Lincoln fire chief seeks deputy post to relieve administrative workload
Summary
Chief Johnson proposed creating a deputy fire chief to take on administrative duties, estimated to add about $94,000 in salary and benefits and require hiring an additional firefighter; council asked for ordinance language and budget impacts before voting.
Fire Chief Johnson told the Committee of the Whole on Feb. 11 that he is seeking a deputy fire chief position to handle administrative duties and free him to focus on longer-term planning. "If we had a deputy chief in place, that would free me up to do other administrative things," Chief Johnson said.
Chief Johnson said the department will reach full staffing of 21 in May and that many current members are relatively new; he described the deputy role as a separate, 40-hour administrative position distinct from the three assistant chiefs who are operational shift commanders. He outlined a desired start date of Sept. 1, 2025, to align with the next academy class and estimated the total cost including salary, insurance and pension impacts would be roughly $94,000 to about $100,000.
Council members pressed for budget details, pension impact estimates and the process for filling the post. Chief Johnson said the deputy would likely be filled from existing assistant chief or captain ranks, which would then require hiring an additional firefighter to keep staffing levels steady. "We would take someone from the assistant chief position or captain's position, move them to the 40 hour work week...and then that would require us to hire another new firefighter," Chief Johnson told the council.
Council discussed whether the assistant chiefs are union members (they are not) and the effect on the fire pension fund. City staff said the pension impact is difficult to isolate for a single new position because the actuarial calculation covers all current active members and annuitants, but estimated total near-term costs including salary and insurance would be around $100,000.
Councilors directed staff and the city attorney to prepare an ordinance to create the position and to return the item to a future Committee of the Whole for further discussion; no formal vote was taken Feb. 11. Chief Johnson and staff will provide a draft ordinance and budget detail for council consideration before any appropriation is approved.
