Westminster fire chief outlines staffing shortfalls, revenue and need for training facility and station expansion

Fire Chief Eric Burke told Westminster City Council on Jan. 27 that the fire department is functionally short-staffed, that calls for service have risen substantially over the past two decades, and that the department needs additional training capacity, capital investment and options to close service gaps in the southern part of the city.

Staffing and training constraints: The chief said the department has 53 full-time employees and that recent operational staffing is constrained because multiple recruits are in an extended academy. “Functionally, we’re down about 9% in the field because we have nine recruits that are in the academy,” Burke said, and he explained the department’s academy length has grown — in part because Westminster now provides EMT instruction as part of the academy and the regional training calendar is crowded — which has prolonged onboarding and contributed to overtime demands.

EMS revenue and expenditures: Chief Burke highlighted the department’s ambulance-transport revenue and state supplemental reimbursements. He told the council that in 2024 the Westminster Fire Department collected $3,200,000 for transport and medical-related services and received about $2,100,000 through the state EMS supplemental reimbursement program, for roughly $5,300,000 in medical-related revenue last year. He said the city has used such funds, in past years, to pay for apparatus, heart monitors and other equipment.

Operational pressures and apparatus: The chief described higher maintenance and procurement pressures amid supply-chain delays and longer lead times for apparatus: “It’s taken almost four years to build a fire engine now,” he said, and noted increased repair workloads for fleet mechanics. Burke also described a new Type 3 engine (useful for wildland and mixed-terrain response) as a flexible apparatus the department seeks to add to its fleet.

Capital needs and funding options: Councilors and staff discussed a range of potential funding pathways to address station and training needs. Burke noted an earlier cost estimate for a proposed north station of roughly $16.3 million and suggested the city could explore multiple options, including setting aside EMS supplemental reimbursements, using wildfire-deployment reimbursements, pursuing FEMA SAFER grants, or targeting urban-renewal area funds for capital components while identifying other revenue streams for personnel costs.

Council direction and next steps: Council members asked staff to return with follow-up information, and City Manager Jody Andrews said staff would brief council further. Andrews also noted that all department directors will present their budget priorities in coming study sessions and that the city will collate council feedback into the 2026 budget process. Burke said the department plans a later presentation summarizing lessons learned from recent large wildfires and mutual-aid deployments.

Quotations: “In 2024 the Westminster Fire Department collected $3,200,000 for transport and medical related services,” Chief Burke said, adding that the state EMS supplemental reimbursement provided about $2,100,000 last year. “Functionally, in the field, we’re down about 9%” while recruits are in the academy, he told council.

Ending: Council asked the chief and staff to evaluate phased, affordable approaches to addressing training and facility needs and to pursue grant and other outside funding where feasible. Staff said they would return with more detailed options and cost estimates.