Lexington, KY - After firefighter complaints about brownouts at Lexington Fire Stations linked to understaffing, Mayor Jim Gray announced he would review the city's budget to make room for a new class of 25 firefighters.
The new recruits, expected to go through the hiring process next month, will beef up staffing levels reduced by 39 retirements in 2011. Those retirees accounted for around $2.9 million annually in salary and benefits, but the city had to pay out approximately $2.4 million for unused vacation, sick days and holiday time. The combined annual salaries of the recruits are expected to add $1.5 - $2 million annually to the city budget.
Once the class is hired, the recruits will go through 18 weeks of training and should be on the streets by the time summer vacation requests come in at the Division of Fire and Emergency Services.
Interim Fire Chief Keith Jackson said once the recruits join the force there would be a reduction in the amount of time equipment is taken out of service because of personnel shortages. Often the division takes a piece of equipment out of service for part or all of a shift because of a training class, and has recently resorted to that measure as a result of short staffing. City officials stressed that when equipment is out of service most often there's a nearby back-up on duty. Emergency medical vehicles are always kept in service.
The division will also seek a federal grant in the first part of the year to enable the hiring of additional firefighters The Division of Police secured a similar grant, resulting in new hires, late last year. The federal grant awarded to the Lexington Police has allowed a class of 27 to begin their 11-month training regimen.
This is the first new class of firefighters since the most recent group graduated in early 2010.