Study suggests improvements to Huntington Fire Department

An independent study of the Huntington Fire Department has made more than 150 reccomendations to improve a department that is straining for money and people.

In early fall of 2011, Huntington Mayor Kim Wolfe hired The McGrath Group, a firm that specializes in consulting for emergency services, to conduct the audit.

During January,  the city hired a interim chief and receievd the results of the McGrath study.

"I'm impressed with the adeptness, in reading recommendations of the study," Wolfe said.  Wolfe said he's "Cautious not to focus on one or two, but the body of the whole study."  

One of the recommendations of the study is to increase the staffing levels of the department.  Huntington Fire Captain Brett Gaeger said he is in full support.

"I'm in full agreement with having more people," Gaeger said.  "Absolutely, it will increase the safety of our fire men and women."

The big issue the department faces is money.  With a city facing a deficit around $4 million, Mayor Wolfe said the recommendations will be taken with the money shortfall in mind.

"We want to keep the city and firefighters safe, while working with in the financial constraint," Wolfe said.

As the city faces cash flow problems, the McGrath study has some financial recommendations of its own.  Gaeger said points of the study push reductions in pay, something he doesn't agree with.  

"It's not just a job, it's a career," Gaeger said.   "If they reduce the rates of the future firefighters, they're not going to get quality firefighters."

Another recommendation the study made was to reduce the number of false alarm calls.  Mayor Wolfe said the study indicated most of the fire department calls were to assist with emergency medical calls.  Wolfe said the study found that only 11 percent of the calls were for actual fires.  Wolfe said the study indicated the number of false alarm calls needed to be reduced.

"30 percent are false alarms, and that surprised me," Wolfe said.

Gaeger doesn't understand how the station can reduce the number of false alarms.  "People have alarm systems for a reason," Gaeger said.  "How can we dictate reducing false alarms?"

As the city and fire department move forward in a new year, the fire officials and city council will be pouring over the results of the study in a city council meeting Thursday.