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Fire department seeks fulfillment of contract funds as staffing and call volumes rise
Summary
Brandon Fire reported growth in membership and certifications and asked the council to fulfill the second half of a previously discussed contract payment to support staffing; the department reported roughly $92,000 spent in the first half of the year and five newly certified firefighters.
Brandon Fire Department representatives updated the council on staffing, certifications, call volumes and ongoing contract discussions, and asked the council to fulfill the second half of a contract that would provide additional personnel funding.
Josh, speaking for the fire department, said the department grew from about 25 members last year to just over 30 this year and reported five newly certified firefighters: "So we got, 5 brand new certified firefighters." He also provided an early-year financial snapshot: "The total spent for, this year for the most part, is gonna be close to 92,000" through the first six months; doubling that figure, he said, would put the annual projection near $185,000–$190,000.
Chiefs and fire leaders described the pay-per-call arrangement that began this year and said it has increased average crew sizes on calls (from roughly 3–4 firefighters per call to about 4.8–5.1), meaning fuller trucks and more consistent staffing. The department requested fulfillment of the contract's second-year funding (the move from 50% in year one to full 100% in year two) to support ongoing operations and retention incentives. Council members asked about recruitment efforts (including outreach at schools and community events) and about options for longer-term retention bonuses; the council did not act on additional funding at this meeting but invited staff and the fire board to continue contract discussions.
