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Laurel emergency panel weighs hiring six career firefighters to shore up daytime coverage
Summary
City of Laurel emergency services leaders told the Emergency Services Committee on March 23 that volunteer firefighter numbers are falling and daytime call volume is rising, and proposed hiring six full-time firefighters — an estimated $480,000 in annual payroll — to guarantee daytime response.
Chair Jodi Mackay convened the Emergency Services Committee of the City of Laurel on March 23 to hear department reports and a staffing proposal from the Fire Department.
Fire Chief JW Hopper reported the department responded to hundreds of calls in the recent reporting period, logged 436 training hours year-to-date, and currently lists 29 active members. Hopper said volunteer ranks are declining and that ‘‘60% of calls occur during the day,’’ creating gaps in response when many volunteers are at other jobs. The department presented equipment and personnel pressures, ongoing grant applications, and preparations for an expected active wildland season.
The department put forward a staffing plan that would add six career firefighters to provide coverage from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. The proposal estimates each firefighter at about $80,000 per year including benefits — $480,000 total payroll — and suggested offsetting the cost by renegotiating fire protection contracts (current contracts cited at $361,000) and pursuing revenue from wildland contracts and a proposed Northwestern Energy protection agreement (the presentation listed a minimum ask of $20,000). The packet included two per-firefighter gear estimates: an itemized attachment listing about $33,776 per set and a narrative slide listing an estimate near $43,000 per firefighter.
Committee members acknowledged the potential public-safety benefits of more full-time staff but also noted the budgetary and implementation implications. No formal motion to hire was made during the meeting; members agreed to discuss the proposal further at a future meeting and to explore contract and revenue options the department identified.
The packet and department remarks emphasized the operational drivers behind the proposal: steady call-volume growth (reported as roughly 4% annually in the materials), greater daytime demand when volunteers are often unavailable, rising equipment costs, and increasing mutual-aid requests from neighboring jurisdictions.
Next steps identified by the committee included further budget analysis, potential contract negotiations, and follow-up discussion at the committee’s next meeting.