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Public Safety

Costs rising for Surprise Fire Department

Council OKs authority to cover nearly $3 million

Posted 4/21/22

Increased operational costs and wildlife fire deployments are costing the Surprise Fire-Medical Department more than it had planned for in fiscal year 2022.

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Public Safety

Costs rising for Surprise Fire Department

Council OKs authority to cover nearly $3 million

Posted

Increased operational costs and wildlife fire deployments are costing the Surprise Fire-Medical Department more than it had planned for in fiscal year 2022.

The Surprise City Council on April 19 approved the budget authority of moving $2,975,000 from contingency to the Fire-Medical Department to cover those costs.

Of the money the council approved, the Fire General Fund will get $1,850,000 of it, the Ground Ambulance Service Fund received $625,000, and the Wildland Fund took in $500,000.

City officials said the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt with personnel, supplies and services costs.

Because of sick time, the department said it has been short-staffed at a time when the need for fire and ground ambulance medical services has continued. The additional sick time resulted in higher-than-normal overtime needed.

In addition to the increased personnel costs, supplies and services costs have increased due to supply demand. Those included the steep spike in fuel and medical supplies.

The department is expecting reimbursement from the Arizona State Forestry Division for deployments to COVID-19 vaccination sites and wildland fires across the state.