Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Le Mars fire chief asks council for funding for one firefighter and new engine amid staffing strain
Summary
The fire chief told the council he reduced a request for two full‑time firefighters to funding that would cover half the cost of one position after county and hospital funding requests were denied; he also outlined the need to replace a 2008 rescue pumper and described rising equipment costs and volunteer shortages.
Le Mars Fire Chief told the council the department is stretched thin and asked the city to fund part of an additional full‑time position and to proceed with planning to replace a key rescue pumper that the department expects to be 20 years old by delivery.
The chief said the original request sought two full‑time hires; the proposal has been scaled back so the city’s next-year budget would cover roughly half the cost of one position after the county and a local hospital declined funding. He linked staffing shortages to growing overtime and reliance on volunteer responders, and said the department is beginning to “burn guys out.”
“We asked for two. I was hoping to gain funding from the county,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
