Speaking to a packed house at a special meeting, including Boy Scout Troop 455 from St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, an expert on fire services explained the process of starting a Lakeland fire department in the near future.
Dennis Wolf, fire management consultant with MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service – University of Tennessee), addressed the Board of Commissioners (BOC) tonight (10.5.17) and confirmed that Lakeland could have its own fire station by July 2019.
The discussion on creating a Lakeland fire department was meeting number two in a series of five sessions for the Lakeland 2020 Strategic Plan. Other topics include economic development (meeting was Sept. 27), parks and recreation, residential growth and infrastructure and education.
Since a fire study was done in 2015, costs have increased, Mr. Wolf said. Startup costs today would be $976,700 with an annual operating budget of $1,143,624 — a total first-year expense of $2,120,324. Costs for personnel, $939,564, would be 82 percent of the annual costs, he said.
Mr. Wolf explained that Lakeland must give Shelby County Fire Department (SCFD) one year’s notice and he recommended hiring a fire chief 12 to 18 months before the opening of the department. He added it takes 11-12 months to build a fire truck. Additionally, firefighters should be hired six months out and enrolled at the state fire academy for training and certification. And there should be a transition plan with the County allowing Lakeland personnel to work with County personnel to learn the risks in the community.
Mayor Wyatt Bunker asked if July 1, 2019 could be a start date for the new department and Mr. Wolf agreed that was possible.
In his overview to commissioners, Mr. Wolf suggested the City staff and equip the station on Beverle Rivera Drive with one engine company staffed with four personnel. Volunteer firefighters could augment paid staff.
He said a fire chief would oversee the department with a training officer providing training, administrative support and backup for the chief. Automatic aid with the SCFD will provide adequate fire response, said Mr. Wolf.
He suggested that Lakeland would want to maintain the ISO rating of Class 3 currently provided by Shelby County and should provide value-added services to the community, such as car seat programs, smoke alarms and public education.
Vice Mayor Josh Roman asked how the City would know a second fire house is needed. Mr. Wolf said there is no exact formula but said there are factors to influence the decision:
- Level of service desired by resident and business owners
- Increases in call volume
- Growth and development
- The City’s basic fire flow as determined by ISO
- The Lake District will need a ladder truck
Mayor Bunker asked about salaries and benefits and said once firefighters are hired, the City would want to retain them. Mr. Wolf said a firefighter would likely make a starting salary of $35,000. Then the City would develop a step plan. Mayor Bunker said if a firefighter with five to eight years of experience was hired, he would expect to give that person credit for their service.
Equipment in the station, said Mr. Wolf, would include a fire engine, an SUV response vehicle and a pickup truck. He said a reserve fire engine could be utilized through an interlocal with another fire station like Millington or Germantown.
Mayor Bunker said part of this initiative is to lower and then eliminate the fire fee currently on MLGW bills, with no tax increase. “We see this as some type of relief to taxpayers.”
… Photo by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents.
