Fire departments no longer untouchable in budget debates

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 3

Once a sacred cow of municipal budgets, fire departments are under increasing pressure to cut personnel costs as communities struggle to live within state-imposed tax and spending caps.

The budget pressure is forcing some local fire departments to reduce their minimum staffing levels on engines and at stations, over the strong objections of front-line firefighters and paramedics.

The Milwaukee Fire Department lost 54 firefighter positions in the last two years, reducing the staffing on most engine companies and ladder trucks from five to four. Waukesha eliminated a fire inspector.

Racine closed a firehouse, saying other stations could pick up the calls.

The North Shore Fire Department this fall cut minimum staffing by one firefighter after exceeding the overtime budget. Brookfield faced the same problem - and for a week kept a city ambulance in bay - until firefighters agreed to work different schedules to retain minimum staffing without using overtime.

And Glendale has put the North Shore Fire Department on notice that the city may withdraw from the regional district in two years unless a better funding formula is negotiated. Although the Fire Department kept its levy increase to 2%, Glendale's share would eat up more than 70% of what the city can raise in additional taxes for all city departments.

Some municipal officials are blaming the tax limits and rising costs. A taxpayer advocate said it's time for local government to re-analyze how much fire protection is needed and how best to provide it.

"We're tied up in a knot here with the cap," said North Shore Fire Chief David Berousek. "I believe the public would be better served if they had the opportunity to support the level of services they believe they should have, and not be handcuffed by the bureaucrats in Madison who suggest that local governments don't know how to spend money."

Not all fire departments are struggling to protect personnel. Some municipalities are making or considering upgrades to their fire services. Menomonee Falls budgeted to add two firefighters. New Berlin put money aside to upgrade its emergency medical services.

But many fire departments are fighting to keep the status quo as their elected leaders work within tax caps.

They say it will only get worse if state lawmakers pass the so-called taxpayers' bill of rights, known as TABOR, a constitutional amendment to permanently limit taxation.

"If TABOR is passed, there just isn't any other option other than cutting personnel," said Milwaukee Ald. Michael Murphy, chair of the city's Finance and Personnel Committee.

Greg Gracz, president of the Milwaukee firefighters union, said the members will fight Mayor Tom Barrett's plan to cut 24 more firefighters in the 2007 budget. Another ad campaign likely will be launched.

"We're going to aggressively attack it, making sure the public and aldermen are aware of what's going on," Gracz said.

A consultant hired by Milwaukee aldermen concluded that the city could cut its staffing on trucks from five to four firefighters, in part because of its extensive network of firehouses.

In fact, the consultant said even deeper cuts could be made.

The union disputes the analysis, and Gracz pointed out that in recent years fire deaths have jumped to double digits.

Communities are still trying to protect police and fire at the expense of other city services, Waukesha City Administrator James Payne said.

"About 50% of our budget is public safety, but only 20% of the cuts were in public safety," he said.

Creative solutions urged

Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, said communities eventually will have to cut public safety costs because they make up a large chunk of the budget.

"I suppose they are having to confront some issues they haven't wanted or needed to confront in the past but now have no choice," Berry said.

Creative solutions are needed, he said.

Berry said that during a blue-ribbon commission on state and local government reform in 2001, one member "wondered aloud why we have separate fire and police departments."

Cross-training police and fire officials could more efficiently and cost-effectively provide services around the clock, Berry said. Regional cooperation on fire protection also should be considered, he said.

Joint stations possible

Waukesha's administrator said the city has studied regional ventures with its neighbors.

Waukesha is talking about building a fifth fire station to serve its growing west side. Building a joint station with a neighbor could be a possibility. But Payne said neighboring municipalities have unacceptable lower levels of service - not full-time paramedic-trained career firefighters as Waukesha has.

Building a fifth station would add 24 firefighters, which would be impossible under levy limits, Payne said.

"We may end up going to referendum to see if we can raise the levy more than allowed," he said.

Some cities are protecting staffing levels by enacting fees, such as for response to car accidents, car fires and hazardous material incidents.

Larry Plumer, president of the Wisconsin State Firefighters Association, said some departments are jointly buying equipment or creating joint specialized units, such as an Eau Claire-Chippewa Falls hazardous materials team.

Fire department budgets should continue to be saved at the expense of other municipal services, Plumer said. Firefighters have greater responsibilities and training for homeland security tasks, he said.

"We're the first ones who go when something happens in a community," he said. "You can only do so much with a skeleton crew. We've got to be prepared."