Fire and police leaders briefed the commission on fleet and facility needs and asked for funding and near‑term improvements.

Fire Department: The fire chief described recent and planned apparatus purchases, including a ladder truck the department has ordered (locked at $1.83M with delivery expected in 2026), and additional ambulance and engine replacement plans that span the next decade. The department said ladder trucks are critical for Birmingham’s denser, multistory downtown and that mutual aid cannot substitute when multiple incidents or access issues occur. Fire staff highlighted long lead times for specialty apparatus and asked that the commission consider steady capital funding to avoid reactive maintenance and expensive over‑runs.

Police Department: Chief Scott Curry (police) outlined several facility and operational gaps at city hall and the police facility. He described the dispatch center as constrained, with three consoles in a tight room that impedes communications when multiple incidents occur. The department seeks to expand dispatch space, create an interview room accessible directly from the booking/holding area (so people in custody do not walk through public hallways), and build a sally port or covered secure transfer area so patrol cars and officers can process custody transfers without exposure to public sidewalks and weather. Police also reported evidence‑storage shortages and proposed creating a two‑bay garage/storage area at the DPS campus to house long‑term evidence property and seasonal equipment now stored outdoors.

Chief Curry said design and quotes are being developed and proposed budgets for initial, interior security walls and access upgrades were discussed; staff estimated a preliminary budget in the order of $100,000 for the immediate interior access/counter and wall changes to secure public circulation, with further estimates to follow for sally port and storage work. Staff emphasized that some changes are needed to remain in line with accreditation assessors’ recommendations. The commission asked for follow‑up design and cost estimates.