Latest news with #StaffingforAdequateFireandEmergencyResponse
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Providence Fire Department cuts millions in overtime costs, prepares to see highest staffing levels in years
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva said the department was able to achieve a slimmer proposed budget this year because it will soon see staffing levels that it hasn't been able to attain since 2018. City officials said the fire department's overall budget would decrease by nearly $1.1 million, for a total of $96.8 million. Silva told Providence City Council's Committee on Finance at its meeting on Tuesday that the department was able to do this, in part, by shifting hourly employees to salaried employees, which reduced overtime costs by about $3.2 million. Anthony Vega, a spokesperson for Mayor Brett Smiley, told Target 12 that the fire department had 409 full-time sworn members at the end of fiscal year 2024. He said the department is anticipating reaching 455 full-time sworn members when the new fiscal year begins on July 1. Last year, the city hired 54 new firefighters through two separate academies. Silva said in the department's 2024 annual report that for the first time, this included a graduate of the Division of Training's Community Technical Education program. Silva told the committee that a $16.9 million federal grant played a major role in being able to hire 44 new firefighters. The funds were awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. Once the 44 firefighters graduate from the fire department's training academy, the city would have 455 full-time, sworn firefighters. '[That's] a number we haven't seen since 2018,' Silva said. Silva explained that, while the department has been able to decrease overtime costs, he was still anticipating paying about $5 million towards overtime in the next fiscal year. He noted that figure was about half of what the department was paying two years prior. Tuesday was the finance committee's third budget-related meeting since Smiley unveiled his proposed $624 million tax and spending plan earlier this month. The mayor's proposed budget calls for increasing property tax bills and making about $9 million in cuts, as well as boosting fines and fees. Smiley said after a thorough review of city finances, operating and supply expenses were reduced in nearly every department, saving $4.2 million. The city also plans to remove 23 positions, most of which were vacant, saving the city about $1 million. RELATED: Smiley seeks to raise fines for parking, pet violations, plus some license and permit fees The finance committee also discussed the proposed budgets for the city's commissioner of public safety and the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) at Tuesday's meeting. Notably, PEMA is asking for $250,000 in discretionary funding for public safety related costs in anticipation of an influx of visitors for the FIFA World Cup 26 next summer. (Nearby Gillette Stadium is hosting seven matches.) Councilor Sue AnderBois asked how the agency determined it needed $250,000. Deputy Finance Director Krystle Lindberg said it was a number that the city wants to have available to show Providence is invested and 'prepared for it in a very real way.' 'There's a tremendous amount of uncertainty right now in the planning and preparation for this,' PEMA Director Clara Decerbo said. 'One thing we know for sure is we're going to have to be taking steps in this next fiscal year in preparation because games start on June 11.' The committee plans to discuss budgets for the police and telecommunications departments in a meeting on Wednesday. The first of two public hearings on the proposed budget is scheduled for May 6 at Providence City Hall at 5:30 p.m. The mayor's budget proposal has come under heat since his address earlier this month. Last week, dozens of taxpayers confronted the mayor at the State House after a hearing on a bill that would give Providence permission to exceed the state-mandated tax levy cap of 4% for one year. Smiley took questions from a number of taxpayers, and pulled out a binder with an overview of proposed tax rates to explain to residents what he was proposing. The mayor said the budget does assume that the levy, or the total amount of collected tax revenue, increases by 7.5% — nearly double the usual 4% cap mandated by the state. On Tuesday, the city released a new online calculator so residents can estimate how much their tax bill would cost under the proposed levy. The city noted that the estimator is intended for informational purposes only, and results that are generated are based on the information provided and may not reflect the actual tax liability. Smiley told the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing last week that the city wanted a 'one-time permission' to exceed the levy due to the city's $15 million settlement with the R.I. Department of Education, which controls the city's public schools. The bill was held for further study to give lawmakers time to review all written and in-person testimony. A subsequent hearing on the bill has not yet been scheduled. Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bemidji City Council to hear from Fire Chief Justin Sherwood on 'critical staffing needs'
Mar. 24—BEMIDJI — The Bemidji City Council will welcome Fire Chief Justin Sherwood to tonight's work session to discuss "critical staffing needs" within the Bemidji Fire Department. Sherwood reports that the Bemidji department cannot meet national standards which recommends a minimum of four firefighters respond to each call. The Bemidji station, comprised of nine career and 48 on-call firefighters, can only guarantee one career firefighter per call. Sherwood hopes to change this to stay in lockstep with the rising demand for services. "Increasing the number of career firefighters at the Bemidji Fire Department is not just about meeting standards; it is about ensuring firefighter safety, reducing response times, improving operational readiness and strengthening community risk reduction efforts," Sherwood wrote in his proposal to the council. "As emergency calls, inspections and fire prevention needs continue to rise, an increased career staff will enhance service reliability, provide a safer working environment and ensure the department is fully equipped to meet the growing demands of the community." During the work session, he will present a comprehensive overview of the department's challenges and offer three potential choices the council could follow to help alleviate this issue in the future. The first asks the council to apply for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. Sherwood recommends the council ask for over $1.4 million to hire four firefighters. The second is to adopt a three-year plan that would shift available funds around to address the issue immediately. Year one would hire two firefighters while years two and three would add one additional firefighter respectively. The third is to change the staffing model from a 48-hour schedule to a 56-hour schedule. This adds 416 hours of duty to each firefighter's plate throughout the year but only requires the hiring of two new full-time firefighters. The council will mull these options during tonight's meeting which will begin at 5:30 p.m., March 24, at City Hall. No action can be taken by the council during a work session. All city council meetings can be viewed online at
