Firefighter Proposal

Today's Journal:

MIDDLETOWN — The city’s fire administration may look about 50 miles north to determine if a significant amount of taxpayer dollars can be saved.

Fire Chief Steve Botts is interested in exploring Springfield’s fire department model, but he said he wants to wait on direction from city council or the city manager.

City Manager Judy Gilleland is out of the office, but it appears a majority of council wouldn’t object to at least exploring the option.

“What works for one city doesn’t always work for another, but we should be open to exploring the best possible alternatives while trying to continue the best possible service for a community,” said Councilwoman Anita Scott Jones.

Councilman Joe Mulligan would like another work session to discuss the topic before he would say if Botts should proceed in an in-depth comparison.

“It’s just so early in the process; I don’t want to say it’s good or bad. I just don’t know yet,” he said.

When comparing Middletown to similar fire district around the region — specifically looking at Hamilton, Springfield, Mansfield, Newark and Fairborn — Botts said the research brought the Springfield model to his attention.

“It’s something I would like to take a little bit more time to look at,” he told council last week.

The fire division’s budget — along with the police division’s — relies in large part on the city’s public safety levy, a 0.25 percent income tax which expires this year. It is on the August ballot.

On the line is nearly $3 million that supplements the combined $21 million budgets. The fire division’s budget is around $9 million.

“Everyone has to ready themselves for the possibility that it could be turned down,” Botts said.

Botts, according to his research, said it costs Middletown $924 per call in 2011, and with a reduced 2012 budget of about 9.5 percent, it’s projected that cost will drop about $88 per call this year.

The Springfield model will provide “significant” savings, Botts said, though exactly how much is not yet certain. He said his research indicates Springfield’s model is “best in class” when it comes to cost per call spending.

Springfield’s cost per call in 2011 was $784, Botts said.

Springfield completed in 2007 a long-term evaluation of its fire service, said Fire Chief Nick Heimlich.

“We essentially had divided services,” he said.

The fire department and the labor union worked on the changes, and Heimlich said the switch “has worked for us from the outset.”

Nine Springfield fire companies are staffed with a minimum of three firefighters, as opposed to two, and CREWS TAKE THE MOST APPROPRIATE VEHICLE TO A CALL AS OPPOSED TO BOTH AN AMUBULANCE AND A FIRE ENGINE....

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Gee, where have we heard of this great idea before? And why is Botts only now realizing there are better ways of running a department?