2018 City of Shakopee Budget

83

Budget Impact:

Fighting fires isn’t what it used to be. Today, we respond to more than just fire calls. We respond to any and all hazards, and it takes dedicated firefighters with the proper training to handle these calls. That’s why the Shakopee Fire Department has always been a strong believer in continuing education for our personnel. Unfortunately, we consistently fall short of our goals internally and by national standards. To correct the problem, the 2018 budget includes funds for a full-time assistant fire chief. This position will develop training programs, schedule, supervise and administer a comprehensive fire training program and tracking that meets national standards. The assistant fire chief will also be responsible for the department in the absence of the fire chief and will assist the chief with preparing budgets and managing personnel. The budget also includes the full-year salary and benefits for our administration captain, which restructured from the former office assistant position mid-2017. This position has enabled us to maintain better records, provide faster more effective customer service and maintain organization within the department. The 2018 budget also provides funding to maintain our current level of services, such as firefighter training, vehicle and equipment maintenance, emergency medical services, technical rescue, fire prevention education, plan reviews and inspections – all of which are vitally important to our consistently high ratings in citizen surveys. In addition, we must continually update our equipment to meet new parameters for replacement. For example, new requirements by the National Fire Protection Association are making drastic changes to the new Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) that firefighters use at every fire scene. We will work toward meeting these standards by replacing some aging SCBA’s yearly and spreading the cost over several budget cycles. The fire department continually seeks grants and donations to support our budget. In 2017, we received approximately $40,000 for training reimbursement from the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education and a $10,000 donation from the Rahr Malting Corp. towards the purchase of new rescue tools to allow for faster rescue times. We seek grants in an effort to preserve fiscal accountability. Since 2012, the Shakopee Fire Department Relief Association has not required any monetary support from the city toward the paid-on-call firefighter pension fund. We anticipate this to continue with the recent bylaw changes that were approved by council in 2017. The fire service industry is constantly evolving, and firefighters must stay up to date with the latest processes and standards to be as safe as possible. The way we fight fires has changed because today’s materials have changed. We don’t see sofas made from cotton batting and heavy wood anymore. We see modern couches made from petroleum-based poly fibers and plastic, which burn hotter and faster than ever before. And when they burn, they give off carcinogens that can be inhaled and/or absorbed through the skin unless properly protected.

EMPLOYEES

PERCENT OF GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES

46

46

46

46

Fire 9.3%

8

7

7

7

Actual 2015 Actual 2016 Budget 2017 Budget 2018

Number of Employees (FTEs) Paid On Call Firefighters