2021 City of Shakopee Budget

89

Budget Impact: The fire department is consistently praised and receives high marks from citizens and citizen surveys and does so while maintaining a fiscally responsible budget. Full-time staff are responsible for daytime operations such as responding to calls for service, firefighter training, plan reviews, building permits and inspections, fire prevention and public education, pre-fire planning, and maintenance of equipment, vehicles, and buildings. A major change this year is in the part-time staffing model. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to maintain accountability and safety for firefighters and citizens, the department is staffing a fire engine with part-time firefighters during the hours when full-time staff are off duty. This staffing model has proven to be beneficial to citizens due to the substantial reduction in response time and is largely well received by firefighters and has been approved to continue into 2021. In addition to responding to calls for service, the part-time shifts are tasked with completing physical training, fire department training, vehicle maintenance, and fire station maintenance. Other benefits will be realized when they are able to complete pre-fire plans, inspections, and public education that are currently being limited due to the pandemic. 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 bylaw changes that were approved by Council in 2017.

EMPLOYEES

PERCENT OF GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES

46

46

46

46

Fire 10.4%

8

8

8

8

Actual 2018 Actual 2019 Budget 2020 Budget 2021

Number of Employees (FTEs) Paid On Call Firefighters