A controversial decision involving staffing at the Clarkston Fire Department is expected to draw some heat at next week's Clarkston City Council meeting.
After two longtime firefighters retired, officials opted not to immediately fill the vacancies because of concerns about the department's expanding budget. Now the firefighters are sounding the alarm to garner support to restore their numbers from 10 to 12 full-time employees.
The council will likely get an earful when it meets next week.
"What this means is that the Clarkston Fire Department will no longer be able to staff two simultaneous or overlapping emergency calls," firefighter Jared Lutes said. "This also means that if we have a house fire and it is unknown if there is anyone inside, we will have to wait until another fire department member shows up. The delay is often five minutes or greater and can even be up to 10-15 minutes."
But Mayor Monika Lawrence said there's more to the story than what's being circulated by firefighters on social media.
"I'm kind of dismayed about all of the misinformation that's out there," she said Wednesday. "We have a lot to consider before we fill those two positions and a duty to be fiscally responsible."
Citing Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines, Lawrence said firefighters can enter a burning building to rescue a person in distress, before the entire team is on site.
In addition, Lawrence said the fire department operated with 10 full-time employees until a few years ago, when a federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant was secured. The general understanding from the outset was those positions would not be retained when the grant dried up in 2014.
When the funding went away, firefighters lobbied to save those jobs and a past council granted their request.
But the current council may have other plans.
Lutes said the department received a memo from the city that said as of Tuesday, the open firefighter positions can't be filled with reserves or overtime staff. Those slots became vacant when longtime Capts. Rolin Heytvelt and Pat Emerich retired.
"The decision to drop to 10 full-time employees is being made mid-year, despite the 2016 budget being unanimously approved for 12 full-time employees," Lutes said. "This budget includes funding from the Rescue One levy that the voters approved based on having a fully staffed service. We have attempted to inform the council and mayor of the enormous risks that will follow these staffing cuts."
City officials decided to take a closer look at the staffing levels after discovering the fire department's budget has increased 35 percent over the past five years. By comparison, the budget for the police department went up by 10 percent, public works increased by 13 percent and emergency medical services rose by 15 percent.
"I have to look at the bottom line," Lawrence said. "When I studied the budgets of every department, the big increase for the fire department was alarming."
The operating expenses for the ambulance are roughly $1.07 million a year and the fire department's budget is just more than $1 million, for a combined tally of about $2.1 million. The Rescue One levy, which brings in about $570,000, goes toward the ambulance service for emergency medical services.
The fire and EMS call volume has increased more than 25 percent over the past four years, from almost 1,600 calls to 2,200, said Capt. Dan Sokoloski.
Most of the calls that come into the fire department are medical in nature. Actual fire calls, including any mutual aid responses or fire alarms, account for about 12 percent of the overall volume, Lawrence said.
"It's a nationwide trend," the mayor said. "The fire department has turned into an ambulance department."
Local governments are dependent on property and sales taxes to fund services, and neither are sure bets, the mayor said. Retail sales ebb and flow, and the city of 7,260 is home to 275 property owners who are exempt from paying property taxes.
"We have a lot of public housing, churches and schools in Clarkston, which are all exempt," Lawrence said. "The threshold for low-income exemptions has been raised to $40,000, and half of our residents are renters. Our population is not very affluent."
Whether Clarkston can afford to have a dozen employees at the fire department is a real concern, she said.
The council meeting begins at 7 p.m. Monday at Clarkston City Hall.
Sandaine may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.
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