By Brady Gervais
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Faced with $1 million in cuts, St. Paul Fire Chief Tim Butler plans to eliminate one rescue squad next year.
Two rescue companies would remain to perform search-and-rescue and hazardous-materials tasks. The five firefighters assigned to Squad 2, which would be eliminated, would be available to fill in for shift vacancies. The total savings from cutting the squad: about $110,000.
That was among recommendations Butler made Wednesday to the St. Paul City Council. Though the $61 million proposal includes no firefighter layoffs, Butler described it as a “damage control” plan.
“It isn’t what we want. It isn’t what we need,” he said. “It’s what we’re living with.”
Butler also plans to trim more than $400,000 in overtime pay to make up for the cuts. The other reductions come from workers compensation and vehicle replacement. A vacant office-assistant position would be eliminated.
About 80 firefighters attended the city council meeting to show their disapproval. They walked into council chambers together wearing bright-yellow union T-shirts and filled one side of the room.
International Association of Fire Fighters Local 21, the St. Paul firefighters union, predicted the cuts would affect response times to service calls.
“Logic tells you that if you cut a company, that company isn’t going to be there to respond when you need it,” said Chris Parsons, Local 21 secretary.
The fire department added a third rescue squad in 2006 when one engine was eliminated. One unit could handle the technical rescue and hazmat calls that occur, as well as respond to more serious fires throughout the city, according to a 2007 independent study of the fire department. The city and fire and safety services had requested the study.
The union also expressed concern over reduced overtime. Parsons said overtime funding this year has been exhausted already.
Cutting overtime leads to brownouts - where a company has to shut down for up to 24 hours, Parsons said.
The council appeared open to finding more money for the fire department.
Council President Kathy Lantry said the city needs to look more closely at the costs to provide service to Lauderdale and Falcon Heights. In 2010, the fire department made about 200 medical transfers in those cities and collected about $120,000, Butler said.
The city isn’t paid if a St. Paul truck responds but no transfer is made, Lantry said. It can’t be a straight fee-for-service program, she said.
Council member Pat Harris suggested the sale of a fire department building. The department has four inactive stations, Butler said. Although one building is used for training, Parsons said space easily could be found in another.
The firefighters union offered recommendations for more revenue. They include:
- Imposing a $25-per-student public safety surcharge at the seven private colleges and universities in the city. That would create $700,000 in revenue a year, according to the union.
- Expanding fire and EMS services to neighboring cities beyond Lauderdale and Falcon Heights. It could require a “modest enhancement” of the department to be paid for by fees the services would generate.
- Charge for paramedic service at events. The department provides the service to many events at its own cost.
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