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Fire chief cites contract-driven salary increases, four apparatus on order and $1.4M in EMS recoveries
Summary
Chief Hart Donnelly told council salary and fringe costs — driven by a recent contract settlement — are the largest budget items; he said four pieces of apparatus are on order and third‑party EMS billing brought in about $1.4 million last year.
Hart Donnelly, chief of the fire department, told the council that salaries and fringe benefits are the department’s largest budget items and that a recently settled contract produced a noticeable increase in pay: “The large ticket items are the salaries and fringe benefits,” he said.
Donnelly said the department has four pieces of fire apparatus on order and that the long lead times mean the city sets aside capital outlay annually to match payment and delivery schedules. He summarized capital priorities (portable radio batteries, replacement windows at Station 1, deferred roof work at Station 2, insulation and access upgrades at Station 5) and said some items were deferred to balance the budget.
On staffing, Donnelly said the department is currently short three firefighters but has five recruits in the academy expected to graduate in June; those graduates will cover the shortfall and two anticipated overfill positions as retirements occur. He described the department’s operational total with overfill as 98.
Donnelly also described revenue sources: fire prevention plan-review fees, master-box fire-alarm monitoring (a state-set fee) and third‑party EMS billing. He said EMS billings returned about $1.4 million to the city last year, roughly $200,000 more than the prior year, and that expanding rescue staffing also increases billable runs.
He closed by noting departmental recognition, including a State Pride Award tied to cardiac resuscitation outcomes: Donnelly said Newport’s survival-to-spontaneous-respiration rate was about 30% last year compared with a national average near 8%.
Councilors asked clarifying questions about deferred projects and whether one-time funding sources would be used; Donnelly and finance staff said deferred items will be reprioritized and that operating-cost increases are being managed through the budget process rather than by tapping reserve funds.
