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Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department seeks roughly $115,000 contract from town amid staffing and EMS concerns
Summary
Representatives from the Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department requested about $115,000 from the town—an increase of roughly 30%—to support daytime staffing and maintain operations; council discussed EMS coverage, the county ambulance plan and the costs of sustaining volunteer services.
Representatives of the Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department asked the council to approve a contract of about $115,000 for the coming year, a roughly 30% increase over the town’s prior contribution.
John Roger and other fire department representatives said about $35,000 of the request would support daytime staffing to ensure faster on-scene response for medical calls and other emergencies. Department spokespeople described rising operating costs: annual apparatus checks, hose testing and SCBA maintenance, plus payroll and insurance, and said those basics amount to $150,000–$160,000 per year for the department’s core expenses.
Fire representatives argued that daytime coverage and response capability save lives, noting three incidents last year in which the department’s timely arrival was a key factor. They also summarized county-level EMS planning: a county ambulance is expected to operate from a nearby station around late January but department and council members warned that county ambulance availability can be inconsistent when units are pulled to cover other areas.
Council members and fire representatives discussed the formation of a Morgan County Fire Territory and the effect on local ISO ratings and insurance premiums. Fire officials said transition to territory-based funding can increase resident costs but may improve service reliability and reduce home-insurance rates in the longer term.
Several department budget items were enumerated: annual apparatus maintenance (~$10,000), hose testing (~$4,000), and other operations. Department representatives stressed volunteer recruitment and retention challenges and said volunteer ranks are aging; they said some recent recruits did not remain on the force.
Council took no immediate procurement action on the fire department contract at the meeting; the department presented their request and answered questions about staffing, program costs and anticipated county EMS changes.
