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Fire chief warns of apparatus delays and seeks early purchases and added firefighters
Summary
Fire Chief Mike Kennedy said apparatus ordered today may not arrive for three years and that replacement costs are much higher than prior forecasts; he asked council to purchase engines now, add one firefighter per shift to reduce inverse overtime and consider a high‑pressure pumper and longer‑term staffing increases.
Fire Chief Mike Kennedy told the council that national supply delays and steep price increases for fire apparatus make early procurement necessary and that the department faces growing staffing pressure.
Kennedy said frontline engines placed in service in 2011 are slated for replacement near 2029, but long lead times and double‑digit price increases mean the city must order replacements now to avoid higher future costs and multi‑year delivery delays (he cited roughly three‑year lead times). He emphasized that the requested apparatus are replacements, not additions to the fleet, and that cost projections in prior forecasts do not reflect current market inflation for large equipment.
On staffing, Kennedy described rising inverse overtime and increased paid leave driven by demographic changes in the department (he cited 14 pregnancies in the last 18 months) and said the department experienced 17 inverse‑overtime events since October 2025. To reduce overtime pressure he proposed adding one firefighter to each shift (about $113,000 per FTE), which would increase available staffing and reduce the need for emergency schedule changes.
Kennedy also discussed the changing urban risk profile — more vertical housing and high‑rise response needs — and said some metropolitan departments recommend initial deployments of 42 members for fires over 75 feet, whereas Ann Arbor's current model is built around 18 on‑duty staffing. He proposed a long‑term capital request for a high‑pressure pumper (approx. $1.1M) and planning for additional FTEs as the city grows.
Council members sought details on timing and cost; Kennedy said ordering now helps lock 2026 pricing versus unknown future rates.
