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Fire chief presents data-driven plan to expand four-person staffing at priority stations
Summary
The Boise Fire Department chief presented data and a multi-year plan to expand four-person staffing at priority stations to improve response times and medical outcomes, and estimated the combined one-time and ongoing cost per station at about $781,000.
Boise’s fire chief on Tuesday presented a plan to expand four-person staffing at priority stations, saying the change would improve response times, firefighter safety and medical response capacity. The chief used analytic software and national guidance to prioritize stations and estimated the combined one-time and ongoing cost to staff a station with a fourth person at about $781,000.
The chief summarized national background, noting the National Fire Protection Association’s committee work and a 2013 NIST study comparing three- and four-person staffing models. "Time is everything we do; everything we do is time sensitive," the chief told council, explaining the operational case for adding personnel to meet the "two in, two out" standard and to support a pit‑crew model for CPR on medical calls.
Using a predictive analytics tool called Dark Horse, staff analyzed historical call volumes, response times, station capabilities and community risk to rank which stations would most benefit from added staffing. The department has already implemented four-person staffing at Station 15 and plans four-person staffing at a new Station 13 on State Street; the chief identified seven additional stations as near-term priorities under the methodology.
On costs, the chief said there are one-time equipment and capital expenditures and ongoing wage-and-benefit costs. He described ongoing wages and benefits for a staffed station as about $517,000 per year and said total one-time plus ongoing costs for a station are about $781,000. He also noted some stations will need facility upgrades before they can add personnel and that capital planning should coordinate with staffing decisions.
Council members asked about the evaluation cadence; the chief said the prioritization list is dynamic and the department will reevaluate annually and report back. The chief also said achieving four-person staffing across prioritized stations could move the city toward a Class 1 rating from the Idaho Survey and Rating Bureau and said city staff will report on outcomes as they add staffing.
No formal budget request was adopted at the meeting; the chief told council the department is ready to proceed when funding is available and recommended pairing staffing additions with planned facility investments.
