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Sandy Fire Department reports progress implementing management study recommendations; long-term capital costs estimated
Summary
Fire officials told the Sandy City Council they have completed 13 of 30 recommendations from a recent management study and proposed a multi‑year equipment replacement schedule that would average just under $1 million per year to maintain recommended rotation cycles.
Sandy — The Sandy City Council heard a progress update Feb. 4 from the fire department on implementation of a 30‑recommendation management and operations study conducted by Public Consulting Group (PCG).
The presentation, led by Fire Chief Ryan McConaughey, outlined items completed, those in progress, and recommendations the department judged not feasible. "We have completed 13 of those recommendations," McConaughey said, citing ambulance paramedic staffing, a revised staffing matrix, uniform allowances, apparatus replacements and a comprehensive revision of the department's Lexipol policy handbook.
The department said 15 recommendations were operational, 10 administrative and the remainder related to capital. McConaughey said the department reclassified some PCG priorities and labeled recommendations high, medium, low or not feasible. He said several items remain in progress, including transitioning from a 19.5‑hour shift schedule to a 24‑hour model (targeted for summer or fall), updates to promotional testing and parameters, and building out training‑division staffing.
Chief McConaughey described an 11‑cycle apparatus and equipment replacement schedule the department developed to align with PCG recommendations. The schedule includes replacement frequencies such as one staff vehicle per year, one ambulance every two years, an engine every three years and radio and air‑pack replacement cycles of about 12 years. "If you look down in each column, it's just shy of a million dollars per year that it would require for us to have to stay within that schedule," he said, adding that the figure is a substantial ask relative to the city's overall fleet budget.
Council members asked for clarification on items the department had labeled not feasible, including a shift‑bid/assignment process PCG recommended. McConaughey said that process could be appropriate in larger departments but is less suitable for Sandy's five‑station footprint. Council members also pressed on use of the study to shape upcoming budget requests; McConaughey and council members said the department intends to use the study as a guide for budget proposals in the current and future cycles.
McConaughey said the department planned to request incident‑facility preplanning software in the next budget cycle. The department described interoperability benefits with nearby agencies and named the FirstDue product as an example being used by Draper. He also highlighted plans to send personnel to the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) for training and equipment exposure.
Why it matters: The management study produced a mix of operational, administrative and capital recommendations that will shape staffing, training and equipment planning for the department. The replacement schedule signals a recurring budget pressure for fleet and capital replacement over the coming decade.
Council direction and next steps: Council members encouraged the department to use the study to inform budget requests and to return with more detailed capital and staffing cost estimates as the items move from concept to request. The department said it would continue reporting progress and planned a future agenda item with a wildland‑urban interface update in March.
Sources: Presentation and Q&A during the Sandy City Council meeting, Feb. 4, 2025. Quotes and details are drawn from remarks by Fire Chief Ryan McConaughey and subsequent council discussion.
