City Fire Department Down to 1 Truck Tuesday

Should New Port Richey find a way to fund a new fire engine for the fire department’s aging fleet?

City Council members agreed Tuesday, July 23, to consider the idea after hearing that only one of the city’s four firefighting vehicles was in working condition.

“The rest of them are broken down,” Fire Chief Alex Onishenko told the council.

It's unclear how much the truck could cost, but Onishenko  estimated it could be around $400,000.

City Council members asked Onishenko to come to them in a few weeks with a plan on finding ways to finance a new vehicle and to also come prepared to talk about the idea of hiring staff at the department.  

The fire department’s fleet includes three engines and one ladder truck. The only vehicle in operation Tuesday was a newer engine. The other trucks are in need of repairs.

One of the fleet’s other vehicles is a 17-year-old truck that suffered a brake problem, Onishenko said.  He said another truck is 19 years old.

“I’m almost embarrassed to talk,” Onishenko told the council. “I asked the county today for a loaner vehicle.”

The ladder truck alone could be out for three more weeks, Onishenko said. The truck’s been out of service for four months.  He said he is waiting to hear on the status of another truck. The truck that had the brake problem is being worked on.

In addition to concerns about equipment, the fire department is down to six firefighters per shift.

The news about the situation at the fire department prompted concerns that the city could face an increase in its fire protection rating assigned by the Insurance Services Office, also known as the ISO rating. That rise could in turn result in higher insurance premiums for residents.

The city ISO rating is assessed on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best rating and 10 being the worst.  New Port Richey is currently rated as a 3.

Onishenko said that both the lower staff and the broken vehicles could impact the city’s ISO rating.

“You can’t respond to calls without a functioning vehicle,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Bill Phillips raised the idea of using rainy day reserve funds to address concerns about the fire department’s situations. He also resurrected the idea of creating a fire assessment to pay for fire services.

A fire assessment fee could be imposed against anyone who benefits from the fire department, instead of just paying property owners. That means non-profits could be on the hook, too.

Even if the City Council agreed to create that fee, it likely won't be enacted until fiscal year 2015.

Councilman Chopper Davis, who used to sit on the firefighter’s pension board, said he thought “more concentration needs too be put on our fire department than has been done recently."

He said to Patch that he thinks the assessment “needs to be brought to the table” for discussion.

In the past, some have talked about whether the city should have the county take over the city’s fire services. None of the council members raised that idea last night.

“I don’t think we’re in a financial situation where we have to farm out the fire department,” Davis said.

What do you think the city should do about its fire department?