Okla. Firefighters Get $5 Per Call Pay Reinstated

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Nov. 14--TAHLEQUAH -- HULBERT -- Several volunteers with the Hulbert Fire Department asked city councilors Thursday night to re-instate run payments.

As it turns out, the council had approved paying the firefighters this fiscal year, but monthly reports hadn't been turned in since the beginning of the fiscal year.

Firefighter Bill Krueger and others on the Hulbert department attended Thursday night's monthly council meeting with a prepared statement.

Krueger, who's been on the department for two years, said the city hasn't been providing a $5 run fee for each volunteer each time he or she responds to a fire or first-responder call.

"The city of Hulbert found money to purchase new vehicles and heavy equipment for the utility department and a new [sport utility vehicle] for the police department, as well as awarded raises to many of the city employees," said Krueger. "The firefighters have had to make fire calls and first-responder calls without the city providing run payments to help with the gas that the firefighters are using in their personal vehicles."

Krueger said the department had 130 calls from Nov. 10, 2009, until Nov. 10, 2010, averaging five respondents per call. From Nov. 10, 2010, until Nov. 10, 2011, the department had 170 calls, and still averaged five firefighters per call.

Councilors said the city removed run payments from the budget back in 2009, when they couldn't afford the expense. Firefighter Carl Dill said the volunteers, at the time, understood the city's need to cut spending, and agreed they would do their part.

"I thought we had this discussion? I thought we were going to pay the $5," Councilor George Truitt said.

Clerk Leona Welch and Mayor Shirley Teague said the city budgeted for the run payment this fiscal year, but Welch said she pays based on reports turned in by the fire department each month. Welch said she hadn't received one since the summer.

Krueger said the firefighters appreciate the city buying fuel for the trucks and paying their retirement, and agreed they would straighten out the reporting issues. Fire Chief Mark Graham presented the council with those missing reports.

Councilors told the volunteers they appreciated the time they give to protecting the community.

Krueger, in his prepared statement, asked the council to eventually commit to paying a $10 run payment to any firefighter going to the scene of a fire or first-responder call.

"Firefighters have spent many hours in training and going on calls. This is time they have taken away from their families to provide a service to the community to help save lives," said Krueger. "[A $10-per-run] commitment would demonstrate the support of the city for our firefighters and [be] an incentive for participation. This money should be included in the budget, and paid to the firefighters at the end of each quarter."

Welch said the city can only pay $5 based on established ordinances, and suggested the city council would have to change that before considering $10 payments. She also said she had typically paid every four to six months.

Truitt told the firefighters to prepare for such a change when budget preparations are taken next year, and re-iterated the city would need to make ordinance changes for that to be considered.

Krueger highlighted some of the training the firefighters have completed, and said the Insurance Service Organization recently agreed to improve the fire department's classification by two levels, which allows residents and businesses within the service area to have lower fire-insurance rates.

Fire department ISO ratings are based on the ability of the department to deliver water to structure fires, and ratings are on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the best. Hulbert was dropped from an 8 rating to a 6 rating, Krueger said -- one of the best in the county.