Union seeks 472 minimum firefighters and outlines long-term 24/72 staffing vision

Union negotiators proposed a minimum staffing guarantee of 472 full-time firefighter positions to ensure minimum on-duty crews (typically four firefighters per engine) and to reduce costly cross-station transfers and overtime. The union said the number reflects current needs, the department's coverage area and known gaps created by FTEs moved into administrative divisions.

The union also explained why converting the department to a 24/72 schedule (often called 24/72 or 24/48 variants) is a long-term project: it would require tens or hundreds of additional hires, continuous academy throughput, and a multi-year fiscal plan. Negotiators noted a large upcoming retirement window that will require replacement hires in any case and argued staged progress is required.

City staff acknowledged safety and response-time concerns but said the fiscal cost and training capacity are substantial: hiring hundreds of additional firefighters over a short period would strain academy throughput and the budget. City budget and HR staff asked the union to supply phased scenarios (how many new hires per year, academy schedule, projected overtime savings) so administrators can model budget and pension impacts.

Union negotiators proposed a six-month window after a staffing threshold is breached to hire replacements and offered a pension-related mitigation idea: if the city fails to hire within the six months, it would pay the city and firefighter retirement contributions for each unfilled position until filled. City negotiators took note but requested legal and actuarial estimates before accepting such a clause.

Both sides agreed to continue work on staffing projections, academy capacity, and the budget model the city can run to evaluate multi-year implementation options.