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CITY COUNCIL <br />WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />ITEM NO. 2 <br /> <br />STAFF ORGINATOR: John Swenson, Public Safety Director <br /> Hannah Lynch, Finance Director <br /> <br />DATE OF WORK SESSION: September 5, 2023 <br /> <br />TOPIC: Fire Service Discussion Follow-Up <br />______________________________________________________________________________ <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />At the August 7, 2023 Work Session, staff was directed to gather some basic details on the costs <br />and scope of a consultant to evaluate fire service models and pull together a summary of the <br />current costs of fire service. <br /> <br />The City of Hopkins is currently using a consultant with the stated goals of: <br />• Evaluate the current staffing model and its ability to provide for projected higher service <br />demand in future years; <br />• Evaluate several staffing scenarios including transitioning to a full-time department, a <br />larger fire district, or outsourcing, and maintaining the current model or any other <br />staffing model recommended by the consultants; <br />• Recommend an optimal staffing model for the fire department that effectively meets <br />community expectations; <br />• Evaluate the financial impact of staffing changes, including any impact to apparatus or <br />fleet, equipment, facilities, and capital demands. <br /> <br />The City of Hopkins put out a request for proposals in the spring of 2023 and received 12 <br />responses ranging in price from $68,000 to $160,000. The consultant selected to complete this <br />fire study was Raftelis. Staff spoke with Hopkins Fire Chief Dale Specken, who reported the <br />final report will be released on September 19, 2023. Chief Specken reported they are pleased <br />with the work of the consultant to date and estimates the final cost of their study will be <br />$95,000 to $100,000. <br /> <br />Here is a link with further details on the City of Hopkins fire staffing study. <br />