Public safety budgets emphasize staffing changes, EMS recruitment and new equipment including mobile barricades

The Public Safety Committee heard FY27 budget overviews for fire, EMS, communications and police that emphasized staffing changes, equipment purchases and operational adjustments.

Fire: The Fire Chief presented a roughly $2.5 million FY27 fire budget and described a planned "swing shift" to close a late‑afternoon coverage gap and provide more consistent 24/7 staffing. The chief noted capital spending for a new fire truck (the chassis payment budgeted in FY27) and cautioned that overall capital reserves remain insufficient to cover large replacements without long‑term planning.

"We're going to put a swing shift in from 5:30 to 8:30," the Fire Chief said, explaining the operational reason for the change and the resulting staffing model designed to maintain on‑street capacity.

EMS: EMS leadership reported 18 full‑time paramedics/EMTs, the addition of an EMS captain and the appointment of a new EMS chief last year. The EMS presentation cited 4,602 transports in 2024 and a marked drop in inter‑facility transfers and non‑transports in 2025; staff attributed declines partly to staffing shortages and higher mutual‑aid needs. The department described recruitment efforts including outreach to Scott Air Force Base medics and a strategy to "grow our own" paramedics through training programs.

"Some challenges we had with the staffing in '25. We had a little bit of turnover," the EMS Chief said, noting leave‑related vacancies and deployment of a recruit drawn from a base program.

Dispatch and communications: Metro East communications reported 14 full‑time telecommunicators and four part‑time staff, with a planned AI‑enhanced quality assurance and training system and a CAD integration intended to streamline coordination with external partners (Amron). Officials cited about 106,000 total calls for service in 2025, including roughly 24,000 911 calls.

Police: Police leadership presented an approximately $11 million budget with 49 officers budgeted (50 authorized). The department described investments in training, officer equipment and traffic/surveillance tools, including license‑plate readers, additional camera coverage and five new electronic speed displays. The department also presented a planned purchase and demo of a mobile barricade system (listed at about $200,000) intended for event safety and crowd control; officials said apparatus purchases would be demonstrated for regional chiefs before broader deployment.

Officials emphasized that some equipment purchases will be covered with seized funds (for example, new duty weapons with optics) to avoid direct budget impact. Committee members asked about sharing specialized equipment with neighboring agencies; police staff said they would allow other agencies to use the barricade units where appropriate.

Public comments at the end of the meeting raised policy questions about officer identification/badging and mask protocols and flagged local traffic and parking enforcement concerns near Evans School; staff encouraged residents to report specific locations for enforcement and to use the city's app for service requests.

What’s next: These committee presentations are informational; formal budget adoption will follow the city's budgetary process. Departments will return with procurement details, vendor quotes and contract outcomes as purchases proceed.