Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Fort Thomas budget workshop flags $120,000 cardiac-monitor request and temporary staffing increase for fire department
Loading...
Summary
City staff outlined increases in the fire department budget including a $120,000 request for EMS technical equipment, $50,000 for rescue tools, and a temporary part-time line increase from $15,000 to $41,600; staff said grant attempts (including FEMA) have not covered the full cost.
City staff presented proposed changes to the Fire Departments General Fund budget, highlighting capital requests for EMS equipment and an increase to temporary part-time staffing.
Staff (Presenter, speaker 4) told the council that total personnel costs are projected at roughly $4,044,000 and that a temporary part-time line item will increase "from $15,000 to $41,600," reflecting staffing the department had planned but not filled this year. The change, staff said, restores the budgeted level for the position.
Why it matters: council members said the items affect public-safety readiness and the citys ability to respond to emergencies without relying solely on grant funding. The council pressed staff for clarity on grant eligibility and the timing of expected outlays.
Agency official (speaker 8), representing the fire/EMS side, detailed the capital requests: $50,000 for rescue tools and $120,000 for EMS technical equipment, primarily to replace aging cardiac monitors. "They're 21 years old. They're end of life," the official said, adding that the cardiac monitors were purchased in 2013 and are well past the industry-recommended 7 to—-year replacement cycle. He said the department has pursued FEMA grants multiple times, with mixed results.
Staff noted a practical constraint for grant applications: "If it's in [the] budget, we wouldn't even get it," (Staff member, speaker 2) explaining that some FEMA awards consider whether an item is already budgeted and that placing items in the budget can affect grant eligibility. The department currently budgets a 5% local match (about $7,000) for one FEMA application that remains uncertain.
Council members asked for more detail on how the requested equipment would be purchased and funded and whether grant timelines align with fiscal-year spending. Staff said they will provide updated numbers and that a final budget will be prepared in advance of the councils June vote on the budget. "We will have a number in there for the budget before we pass the budget," staff said (Questioner, speaker 9).
Next steps: staff will return with specific cost breakdowns and any updated grant information ahead of the June budget adoption. No formal motion or vote on these specific line items was recorded at the workshop.
