Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire And Ems topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chief seeks staffing, apparatus and GEMT funding to shore up EMS and tornado recovery capacity
Summary
Fire Chief Jenkerson told the committee the department requested $81.8 million for FY27, about $3 million more than the proposed budget, and described countdowns of staff shortfalls, expected GEMT reimbursements that could add roughly $7 million, long lead times for apparatus and needs for siren and EMA maintenance after the tornado.
Chief Jenkerson presented the Fire and EMS Division's FY27 budget request and a multi-topic account of operational pressures following last year's tornado and broader staffing shifts.
The numbers: Jenkerson said the department requested $81,815,000 while the budget office proposed $77,994,140, a roughly $3 million gap largely tied to personnel costs. He reported an anticipated reclassification and federal reimbursement changes that could add approximately $7 million to the GEMT (Ground Emergency Medical Transportation) fund this fiscal period, which the department hopes will support capital and equipment needs.
Staffing and service model: The chief said the city currently staffs 12 ambulances per day but seeks to expand toward 16'18 to reduce call loads and increase EMS billing revenue. He listed personnel requests that include two deputy paramedic chiefs (deputy EMS chiefs), additional paramedic crew chiefs, paramedics and EMTs. "We're about 60 firefighters down," he said, noting COVID-era attrition and retention challenges. The chief identified recruitment issues including regional competition and drug-test failures after marijuana legalization, and described efforts to increase training pipeline capacity.
Capital and operations: Jenkerson reviewed capital acquisitions funded by ARPA (new medic units, pumpers, a 77-foot quint and a hook-and-ladder) and warned that firehouses and apparatus require ongoing investment; construction time for trucks is 18 months to two years. He described holding the newly assigned EMA command post and tornado-siren maintenance in house and explained a recent automated-siren test that unintentionally reactivated because a queued activation was not cleared; the vendor is updating software.
Revenue strategy: The chief emphasized lost EMS billing when private ambulances answer calls and argued that city-staffed ambulances both improve coverage and enable revenue capture. Using conservative collection assumptions, he estimated additional revenue from capturing more calls.
What the committee asked: Members asked for clarifications on GEMT restrictions, the feasibility of hiring large classes of recruits in one fiscal year, and whether ordinance changes could permit GEMT dollars to support personnel. The chief agreed to review ordinance language and provide follow-up materials on revenue scenarios and staffing plans.
What's next: The committee will weigh the department's personnel and capital requests as part of FY27 deliberations; members asked for more detailed analyses of revenue gains from incremental ambulance staffing and a clearer schedule for capital needs and their costs.
