Truman fire, ambulance reports note equipment needs; fire by-laws amended and firefighter hourly pay raised

At the July 8 meeting, Fire Chief Brandon Mosloski reported 25 active members and said the department had replaced valves on several trucks and updated its by-laws. The council approved the amended by-laws, which set a wage of $250 for the Secretary position and increased firefighter pay from $9.50 to $10.00 per hour; the motion carried 2-0 after Mayor Jake Ebert and Councilors Chris Mosloski and Ron Kelley abstained due to their membership in the department.

Ambulance Director Josh Kitzerow told the council the ambulance squad has run 110 calls so far this year and has 21 active members. Kitzerow reported locating a 2019 ambulance for sale for about $184,700; the unit is being inspected and will be demoed by the department. A trade-in allowance of $7,000 was offered for rig #3. Kitzerow also outlined equipment replacement costs: a 10-year-old monitor would cost about $45,000 to replace or an alternate option at about $18,000, and new radios are estimated at approximately $90,000 to be phased in over multiple years. Fundraising has been used in the past via the relief association, and the department may pursue forming a nonprofit auxiliary to support equipment purchases.

The reports were informational; no additional appropriations were authorized at the meeting, though staff indicated follow-up and more information will be provided.