The Round Table
departments
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?
C.L. Caldwell, Chief, Kingsport, Tenn.: It is the responsibility of the fire chief to prepare the fire department budget. Goals and objectives of the department are defined and the budget is prepared to meet those goals. When the budget is submitted, the defined goals and objectives are also submitted. Assistance is received from the purchasing director who is responsible for projecting cost increases of line items. Each line item must be justified to the city manager who is responsible for justifying the budget to the board of mayor and aldermen.
Wilmot E. Guthke, Chief, Charleston, S.C.: As chief, I prepare my budget by getting input from assistant chiefs, training officers, fire prevention chiefs and others.
All information and requests for funds are then presented to the budget committee of the board of fire masters.
After this committee, and I as the chief prepare the budget, it is then presented to the mayor and city controller. All cuts or increases are then made.
Following approval by the mayor, his recommendation is presented to the city council for three readings.
J.H. Monsees, Chief, Reidsville, N.C.: As fire chief, I prepare the fire department budget with the exception of salaries. This is prepared by the personnel department and city manager.
No outside assistance is used in preparing the budget. Most items are previewed with staff officers for suggestions.
Budget requests are justified to the city manager. Upon adoption, I have a free hand in administration budget items except for increases in pay.
Hueston Reynolds, Chief, Beaverton, Or.: The fire chief is responsible for preparing the final fire department budget. Each division in the department prepares a budget for their various operations; fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency medical services, training, apparatus operation and maintenance. The chief, along with his staff and division heads, puts the budget together. Each budgeted item from personnel, operating supplies and capital expenditures must be justified in writing.
The budget is presented to the public safety director who reviews all requests. Then the budget goes to the mayor and his staff for review again, along with the fire department staff. After the mayor’s review, it is then sent to a budget committee, which consists of five members of the city council and five citizens at large. They together make final approval on the budget. This is a trying process for the fire chief and his staff but, in the final outcome, the budget is accepted by the citizens of the community without question.
Robert L. Knuth, Chief, Lewistown, Mt.: As chief of the Lewistown Fire Department, 1 prepare the budget of the department with the aid of my officers. They are obligated to the jobs of fire prevention, communications and training officers and fire department mechanic.
I have to justify the budget that I submit to the city council and the finance committee, which consists of city council aldermen.
Orville Herbert, Chief, Jewett City, Ct.: Yes, I prepare my own budget. I have the assistance of other line officers in the company to do so.
Sometimes I have to justify the budget to the municipal board.
M.A. Fredrickson, Chief, Sitka, Alaska: Our fire department budget is inclusive of the total cost to the city for a 12 month period, our’s beginning January 1 through December 31. The budget includes wages, operational cost, training and capital outlay for equipment from typewriters to fire apparatus.
As fire chief I prepare my own budget.
The assistant fire chief and secretary assist in all processes and manipulative tasks of budget preparation. In addition, we ask for input from all personnel from division heads right down to firefighters and clerks. Along with their recommendations, personnel are requested to submit a justification and an estimated price and material/equipment resource. All requests, along with my own wishes are then prioritized by my staff at a budget review meeting. I study their priorities and make any adjustments I feel necessary. This constitutes my finalized budget proposal. This budget request’as submitted, is prepared by the city printer, along with that of all other city departments into a draft city budget. This proposed budget is published for public distribution. It contains my unedited proposals with brief justification accompanied by the comments and recommendations of the city manager to the city council on each item.
Council work sessions are scheduled where all items are discussed. The council here directs verbal inquiries to the city manager and myself for any clarification about budget items and justifications. Finally, all budget items are discussed at evening council meetings which are open to the public. Here, citizens may ask questions of the council about the budget items. Questions are often deferred to the relevant department heads who are required to be in attendance so as to respond to the comments. The council then votes to pass, after making such modifications that they as a group feel are necessary to prioritize items and make a cut-off at a point in the revenues.
This entire process, from the initial preparation at my office until the final council voting on the finished budget document, usually takes about six months.
William T. Hudspeth, Deputy Director, Douglas, Az.: Yes, as chief of the depart ment of Public Safety-Fire Division, I prepare my own budget. I require the assistance of department officers in reporting needs of equipment and research on prices.
I have to justify the budget to the city council and the mayor.
Albert P. Denelli, Chief, North Adams, Mass.: I prepare my own fiscal year budget and have to justify it to the mayor, city council and the finance committee.
Daniel J. Formato, Chief, East Grand Forks, Mn.: 1 prepare the budget and more than likely call on the assistant chiefs to help in the preparations. These people are in the know, on a daily basis, as to what is needed to make this fire department operate efficiently.
Yes, the budget has to be justified to the city fire committee, the city council and the city clerk-treasurer.
The following answers are in response to a previous question on manning.
Richard Dunwood, Chief, Pierre, S. Dak.: In the city of Pierre, we run 15 men on an engine company and 15 men on a ladder, 12 men on a crash truck and 20 men on a rescue truck.
Billy Butterfield, Chief, Valparaiso, Ind.: In my opinion, there should be an engine company of four men and a ladder company of five men.
In Valparaiso, we operate with an engine company of two men and a ladder company of one man. This is due to the manpower situation that exists until off-duty personnel arrive.
Irvin R.C. Kahler, Chief, La Crosse, Wis.: In my opinion, the proper manning level should be related to the supression assignments anticipated for either an engine company or truck company. If this is not always possible, then the running card for the second alarm should be reevaluated and possibly increased to make up for the lack of manpower. Example: Pre-fire planning shows high loss potential. Original plan called for one engine company on second alarm. Change to two engine companies and an additional truck company, if it warrants it. Make use of your in-service inspections and continuously update your pre-fire plan.
We man the engine companies with a minimum of four and the truck companies with two men.
For a regular alarm, we dispatch two engine companies and one truck company plus one squad.
At a high value area, we dispatch three engine companies with one truck company and a squad.
For hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, and schools in session, we send out two engine companies, two truck companies and one squad.
Our squad consists of the assistant chief and his driver and one additional man. It has special equipment such as Hurst Tool chain saw, extra breathing apparatus, etc.
Our truck companies are either Snorkels or 100 foot aerials.
