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Assembly considers $40,000 repeat of seasonal firefighting post piloted in 2024
Summary
The Skagway Municipality assembly discussed renewing a seasonal emergency responder position with a $40,000 allotment to repeat a 2024 pilot, which officials said improved coverage in remote Dye Flats and could reduce overtime but does not create a permanent PERS-covered post.
The assembly reviewed a request to fund a seasonal emergency responder position with a $40,000 allocation, repeating a pilot the municipality ran in 2024. Chair opened the new-business discussion and asked Chief Rauscher to summarize the 2024 pilot and the department’s plan for 2025.
Chief Rauscher said the seasonal responder was piloted beginning 07/20/2024 and "What we're asking to do with the $40,000 is a repeat of what we did in 2024." He told the assembly the position provided a stationed responder in the Dye Flats with a brush truck and EMS bag, enabling faster wildland and structure fire response, search and rescue, and limited EMS coverage for remote residents.
The chief described how the 2024 funding came from unspent benefit dollars freed when a permanent position was filled via emergency hires; because the seasonal appointment is not permanent, it "does not lock into PERS," he said. That allowed the department to staff an on-site responder without a budget amendment last year, he added.
Officials discussed estimated savings. At a prior finance meeting the department estimated approximately $33,000 in potential overtime avoidance over two quarters if the seasonal post is filled, though the chief called that figure hypothetical and dependent on unpredictable sick and vacation usage. The assembly noted the $40,000 outlay would likely be covered via a transfer into the general fund from sales-tax receipts or carryover, and that a shortfall after hypothesized savings would be modest in the context of the city budget.
Assembly members pressed for operational detail: one member asked how much time the responder spent in Dye versus in town; the chief said the hire worked 48-hour shifts and spent the majority of that time stationed in the remote area. The chief also stressed the seasonal role would help meet minimum staffing requirements for ambulance operation under state statute by filling vacation and unexpected absences without forcing overtime.
No formal motion or vote was recorded in the session. The assembly indicated it would bring the item forward at the full assembly meeting the following evening for further consideration and any required budget action.
