The Round Table
A fire department budget is a plan prepared in anticipation of what the department will need (in resources) to operate for a definite future period in time.
As chief, do you prepare your own budget? Do you have assistance in preparing this budget? Do you have to justify it? And finally, to whom do you have to justify it?
E.H. Derr, Chief, McAllen, Tx.: The budget process begins almost right after the most recent budget is approved. All departments keep records of required equipment and materials so as to be placed in the next budget.
The city director of finance sends us blank budget request forms. I then request all branches of my department (fire prevention, training, supression and administrations) to forward all budget requests. After I make decisions as to needed items, a final budget is prepared and submitted to the city manager. Depending on projected city revenues, meetings are held between department heads and the city manager to add or delete items in the budget.
The city manager then begins work sessions with the city council. From these meetings and workshops, a final budget is drawn up and presented at a public hearing.
Basically, I try to involve all staff personnel in the budget preparation. I, however, have the final say as to what is to be presented to the city manager. I am required to justify most items to him and may be called at the city commission public hearing to justify the requests.
Richard A. Hartz, Chief, Fulton, Ky.: I prepare my own budget and have no assistance in filling out the requests. I must justify any outstanding items to the city manager.
Donald G. Parrotte, Chief, Ferguson, Mo.: Yes, I prepare the fire department budget. I have the assistance of the administrative assistant chief of the department.
Justifications have to be made only on capital outlay items such as pumper, cars, buildings and the like. My justifications are made directly to the city manager on a faceto-face, one-to-one situation. They are first presented in writing with the preliminary budget figures and then we have a budget meeting.
I rely upon my fire officers to prepare a list of items needed or to be replaced by February 1 of each year so I can have the information and obtain the cost figures for submitting by March 15. This is for a July 1 budget.
J.C. Mitera, Acting Fire Chief, Hastings, Ne.: The chief prepares the budget with the aid of the assistant chief. It is then reviewed at a budget hearing, with all council members, the mayor and city administrator present.
Thomas Henry Nelson, Chief, St. Augustine, FI.: Yes, I prepare my own budget for the department. I have the assistance of the city manager and the rules and regulations on budgets to guide me. The final budget must be justified to the city manager and the city commissioners.
Wade Brown, Chief, Sandpoint, Id.: I prepare my own budget with the assistance of the public safety committee. The budget must be justified to the city council.
Thomas H. Eberhart, Chief, Athens, Ga.: As chief of the Athens Fire Department, I prepare the budget with the aid of the assistant chiefs, fire marshall, chief of training, superintendent of vehicle maintenance, superintendent of communications and fire safety education specialist. Each line item and capital expenditures must be justified. The mayor is responsible for the city budget and all departmental budgets must be justified to him.
Redlon A. Holman Jr., Chief, Augusta, Me.: As fire chief, I prepare my own budget, without assistance. The budget must be justified to the city manager, who in turn goes to the city council with it.
Bernard L. Sease, Chief, Carson City, Nv.: The fire department prepares its own budget, based on staff recommendations. Final tentative is prepared by the chief officers and the department’s budget administrator. Resources for assistance in preparing the budget come from the city finance department, purchasing and the city manager’s office. The tentative budget is reviewed by city department heads and recommendations for change or assistance in developing justification occurrs during these meetings. The budget must be fully justified, showing services to be rendered by the department, to the Carson City Board of Supervisors. This generally is handled by the city manager with the fire chief as his resource.
Neil Laughead, Chief, Aberdeen, Wa.: Yes, I prepare my own budget, with the assistance of the comptroller’s office. The budget must be justified to the city council.
William Pickford, Shaker Heights, Ohio: As chief of the Shaker Heights Fire Department, I prepare the department’s annual budget with the assistance of other officers. At a meeting held several months prior to the time for submission, the officers are asked for their input regarding new and replacement equipment and supplies needed during the coming year. In addition, my assistant chief and I meet with the head of the fire prevention bureau, fire alarm system and department mechanic to determine their needs.
The budget is actually divided into two separate budgets; an operating budget covering salaries, hospitalization, pension payments and other fringe benefits, and another budget for capital improvements and for covering replacement of vehicles and other major expenditures.
The completed budget, which amounts to $1,950,000 for operating costs and $64,500 for capital improvements in 1979, is then submitted to the city’s chief administrative officer for justification. He and I meet and review the requests. Any increase in an account from the previous budget must be explained and the need for new items must be proven.
The budgets then have a hearing before the council’s police and fire committee , at which time the fire chief must again justify the needs. The chief administrative officer then appears before the finance committee with the budget and finally it goes before the council at a regular meeting for approval.
E.R. Voyles, Chief, Jeffersonville, In.: Yes, we do prepare our own budget. I have the assistance of Major Doyle Berry and my secretary Ms. Summers in the preparations.
The budget must be justified to the mayor and the common council.
Donald R. Kohtz, Chief, York, Ne.: Yes, I prepare my own budget, using some suggestions from other officers in our department. I must justify what we ask for, showing a need to the city administrator, who in turn makes his recommendation to the mayor and city council.
William E. Kingdon, Chief, Salem, N.H.: I prepare my own budget and have assistance in doing so. The budget must then be presented to the manager, the board of selectmen, the budget committee and finally at the town meeting.
The following answers are in response to a previous question on manning.
Larry D. Domson, Chief, Rock Springs, Wyo.: In my opinion, there should be four men for one engine and four men for one ladder.
At present, I am running an engine with an average of three men and the ladder with an average of three men also.
Edward J. Mandel, Chief, Mt. Clemens, Mich.: We run with five men on duty and a back up of 14 paid men and 27 volunteers. Initial response to a building or factory fire is three pieces of apparatus: one 85-foot aerial ladder, two pumpers, a 1250-gallon single stage, and a 1000 two stage. We have been successful with this.
The second pump, an operator, connects to the sprinkler connections and is also successful. If it is a working fire, all members of the department are summoned by radio.
Pre-fire planning sprinkled buildings and training have made the difference for us. Every member is a trained operator of all response vehicles and with training field inspections and constant updating, we have been able to reduce fire losses.
Incidentally, our pay rates reflect this constant preparedness.
The response of five men would be: two men on the lead pumper; two men on the aerial; and one man on the second pump who would be responsible for connection of the sprinkler standpipes.
For still alarms, there would be one pumper and three to four men. The complement would be filled with off-duty personnel to maintain five men in the station.
We also have county mutual aid for any alarm greater than a first alarm.
