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Committee hears rising responder participation, equipment shortfalls and growing per-diem costs
Summary
An agency official told the committee active membership rose to 25 and that equipment shortages (turnout gear, facepieces, radios) and higher response rates have pushed per-diem costs from about $56,000 last year toward a projected $97,000 this year; the committee discussed pay-model alternatives and maintenance needs.
An agency official told the Emergency Services Committee that the department's active roster has increased to about 25 members, pushing participation and call volume to levels that are raising costs for per diem and equipment.
"We're averaging many more members per call than we ever had," the official said, noting that turnout gear, face pieces and radios are in short supply. He estimated turnout gear, face piece and a radio together would cost about $6,500 per member and said one radio costs about $2,500. He added that expanding eDispatch capacity beyond 25 members would cost about $2,800 per year.
The official reported per-diem expenditures were about $56,000 last year and said, at current participation rates, the per-diem could reach roughly $97,000 this year. Committee members discussed an alternative per-responder pay structure raised in last year's budget talks94paying the full per-diem to an initial set number of responders and lower amounts for additional personnel94but deferred consideration to the budget process.
On maintenance and training, the official said staff issued a purchase order for roughly $9,000 to complete preventive maintenance and required certified pump testing by the end of the month. He also described a recently acquired floating pump that can move 500 gallons per minute up to 500 feet, allowing crews to use nearby pools or ponds as water sources without driving trucks into yards.
No formal changes to staffing or pay policy were adopted in the meeting; staff said they will present budget figures for further committee review.
