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Fire chief seeks council support to adopt FEMA pay schedule for out-of-district responses
Summary
The fire chief briefed the council on coverage gaps, lost live‑in staffing and a proposal to adopt FEMA pay schedules to charge outside non‑dues-paying districts for manpower and equipment to recoup costs and incentivize compliance with burn rules.
Huntsville’s fire chief described staffing gaps after the loss of a live‑in firefighter and outlined plans to improve overnight coverage and mutual-aid coordination across the county.
Chief Shen told the council the department plans to adopt FEMA’s pay schedule to bill non–dues‑paying entities for equipment use and manpower when Huntsville responds outside its five‑mile response area. The chief said the change would allow the city to recover costs for fuel, replacement gear such as air packs and hoses, and specialized agents used on structure fires. He also said the policy could give the city leverage to penalize illegal burns and better protect volunteer departments that rely on act 833 funding.
Councilmembers discussed whether counties or other fire boards would need to adopt similar schedules and noted the need to coordinate with county leadership and state-level officials. The chief recommended council discussion in January to set rates and, if desired, create a budget line item to compensate volunteers and cover overnight staffing incentives prior to adopting the 2025 budget.
No formal policy change or ordinance vote was taken at the meeting; the chief asked for council direction and signaled follow-up work to craft a formal proposal.
Next steps: chief and mayor will prepare a detailed proposal and rate structure, including estimated charges for equipment and personnel, for council consideration at a future meeting.
