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Fire chief reports staffing changes, ambulance income up and replacement plans after crash
Summary
Chief Hartman told the council he has overseen promotions after several retirements, expects fee adjustments to increase revenue by about $100,000, reported ambulance income about $70,000 higher than last year, and said a damaged ambulance is being replaced pending inspection of its power-load cot system.
Fire Chief Hartman updated the Muscatine City Council on department staffing, budget adjustments and ambulance availability.
Since his appointment about four months ago, Hartman said the department has experienced multiple retirements among senior personnel and has conducted several rounds of promotions to fill leadership roles. He said the department is still backfilling firefighter positions and praised staff who volunteered to update station facilities, including flooring and painting.
On budget items, Hartman reported fee adjustments intended to bring some fees to market rate will increase income by “a little over a $100,000.” He also said the ambulance-billing position was reclassified from a uniformed to a civilian role, producing an estimated $40,000 in savings. “I did check earlier today ... we are about $70,000 over in ambulance income compared to this time last year,” Hartman told the council.
Hartman addressed a recent ambulance collision and said the department is bringing a previously retired rig back into service while a replacement is procured, but noted work remains to inspect the power-load cot system before the backup rig can be used. He said paramedics and EMTs can still respond on fire engines and provide on-scene treatment when ambulances are unavailable.
Hartman also said staff are compiling a list of large-ticket items to inform future budget planning and that the department is exploring preliminary research about a potential third fire station. Councilmembers asked follow-up questions about service levels and the ambulance replacement timeline.
