Fire chief warns staffing cuts would raise public-safety and insurance risks

Members of council, I fully recognize the gravity of the financial challenges facing the town of Black Mountain, and I understand that this budget cycle will require difficult choices and sacrifices across every department, the Fire Chief said in a prepared statement to the council.

The chief warned that cuts to fire-department staffing would lower emergency effectiveness “immediately,” increase the likelihood of civilian and firefighter injury, and could materially affect the town’s ISO classification and homeowners’ insurance costs. “We cannot cut our way to a safer community,” the chief said, urging councilors to weigh short-term savings against long-term public-safety and financial consequences.

Why it matters: The fire department’s staffing level was presented as the minimum the chief said is necessary to perform critical, simultaneous life‑saving tasks such as fire attack, search and rescue, ventilation, pump operation and rapid firefighter intervention. The chief said staffing reductions would force crews to prioritize tasks and that response effectiveness would fall as a result. He also tied staffing and preparedness to the town’s ISO rating and the downstream effect on insurance premiums for homeowners and businesses.

Council members pressed for more concrete payroll options and comparators. Staff and the chief said the department currently lags neighboring departments by roughly $2,000 per firefighter in base pay and that countywide pay changes could widen the gap by mid-summer; they committed to preparing illustrative salary-adjustment scenarios showing the budget impact of proposed raises.

The chief walked the council through several line items underlying the request: training and certifications required by state standards and the North Carolina State Firefighters Association; personal protective equipment and turnout gear (many sets were lost or contaminated during a basement flood); and capital needs such as replacement hose, handheld radios and a cardiac monitor. On turnout gear the chief explained that current standards and the flood loss mean the department needs extra sets so firefighters always have a clean set while others are being decontaminated.

Councilors asked about specific costs and whether some line items could be delayed or procured at lower prices. The chief replied that many items — certification maintenance, mandatory memberships and specialized rescue gear — are either required for safe operations or necessary to remain eligible for some grants.

What’s next: Staff will prepare salary scenarios and more detailed cost breakdowns for council review before the budget public hearing scheduled for June 15 at 6 p.m. The council scheduled additional budget meetings in early June to finalize options.

Attribution: Quotes and paraphrases in this article come from the Fire Chief’s prepared statement and the council discussion recorded in the meeting transcript. The article uses the role label “Fire Chief” (as the speaker self-identified) for attribution when referencing direct remarks.

Ending: The council did not adopt final pay adjustments at the session; instead it asked staff to return with scenario analyses and left the department’s proposals under active consideration ahead of the June public hearing.