Jefferson City firefighters face 36% rise in calls with stagnant staffing

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Staffing at the Jefferson City Fire Department has been stagnant for about two decades, according to Chief Matt Schofield.

And despite an increase in call volume during that period, additional fire personnel and some equipment remain unfunded in fiscal year 2027.

At the City Council's Budget Committee meeting Monday night, JCFD presented the need for additional staffing funding. Schofield said when looking at the department's budget for next year, personnel is "probably most important."

“We have struggled, honestly, to be very upfront with the council," Schofield said.

The last time there was a "meaningful" staffing increase was in 2007, according to Schofield. And it was an increase of the total number on staff, not a raise of minimum staffing.

In the nearly two decades since that increase, Schofield said call volume has increased by about 36%.

To keep up, the department asked for funding for six positions:

• A part-time administrative assistant
• Deputy fire chief
• Fire marshal
• Safety captain
• Three additional ladder truck personnel

Expected costs range from $21,865 for the part-time administrative assistant position to $141,684 for deputy fire chief.

Among several unfunded requests by the fire department is a safety feature on residents' phones.

Schofield said HASS Alerts, a tool that warns drivers of crashes or active fire scenes, will have to be dropped. The alert system is typically funded by a MoDOT grant, he said, but it will not be in 2027.

The city's budget committee also can't provide the money, so JCFD plans to try to get the grant funding back.

“It alerts drivers ahead of time and potentially prevents secondary crashes. We feel like that’s valuable," Schofield said.

The City Council is hearing budget presentations from all city departments and is expected to vote on the entire budget before the new fiscal year begins on Nov. 1.

The city last week outlined a balanced $88.4 million spending plan that includes a $45.4 million General Fund and a 2.5% pay increase for city employees. That's a roughly $2 million increase from last year's budget.

Personnel costs make up the largest portion of the proposed General Fund budget in its most recent proposal, according to previous reporting, accounting for $33.2 million, or about 73% of the $45.4 million total for next fiscal year.

Police and fire account for the largest portions of General Fund departmental spending. The police department is budgeted for $14.1 million, or about 31%, while the fire department is budgeted for $10.8 million, or 23%.

Last year, police spending made up $13.9 million and fire services were budgeted at $10.7 million, previous reporting shows.

The city last week had touted a sales tax question for public safety that will appear on the November ballot, with its passage expecting to make up for $400,000.