St. Paul fire chief requests $3.8 million budget boost for more staff, training, supplies

The St. Paul Fire Department is asking for a $3.8 million budget increase in 2023, with new spending on staff, supplies and training.

Fire Chief Butch Inks, who presented the proposed budget to City Council onWednesday, emphasized the need for additional staffing based on St. Paul's growing population and a steady increase in the number of calls for help.

"Things have significantly changed for us, so a different plan is warranted," Inks said. "The council has been a strong supporter of the Fire Department, and we have made growth. But we have outlined, in addition to that, the firefighters we need."

Mayor Melvin Carter last month proposed a $782 million city budget for 2023, including a 15% bump in property taxes. Inks' presentation to the council was the first in a series the body will hear before voting on a final budget in December.

If Wednesday's proposal is approved, the Fire Department would see an increase in funding next year, including $100,000 for medical supplies, more than $400,000 for six Basic Life Support program employees to offset emergency calls and $125,000 to train and hire new firefighters.

The proposal also calls for charging skilled nursing and assisted-living facilities $350 each time they call emergency responders to lift people who have fallen. The Fire Department responds to an estimated 1,200 such calls every year, Inks said.

As in many cities, public safety — police and fire — comprises the bulk of St. Paul's budget. With the new line items, the total Fire Department budget would be about $74.5 million in 2023.

Council Member Rebecca Noecker applauded the department for using data to innovate its work.

"What my constituents care about is not how many people we have in the Fire Department, but how quickly we get to a fire or to a medical emergency. That's what matters," she said.

"Looking at response times and making sure that we are continuing to be there when we need to be in any situation, that's what I would be most interested in seeing as a reason for needing to expand the department."

Mike Smith, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 21, said the city needs to hire more firefighters to respond to residents' needs.

"You can't keep asking to do more with less. With the growth and development of the city, the numbers prove it," Smith said. "We need the additional firefighters to provide adequate protection for the citizens, for the future."