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August 12, 2025 St. Anthony Council Work Session - 4 calls per month. With mutual aid, they go to other cities. When there is a structure fire, all resources are called in. Councilmember Jenson stated in looking at the tax levy at 6% while in the previous years it was 4%. Chief Diaz stated that the information provided to staff in the department is required to continue a fast response time and a high level of service. Chief Diaz stated his motivation is to be able to provide the highest level of service, and paid on-call personnel would still be retained, and match the services to the needs of the community. The on-call workers fill in for firefighters when on vacation or personal leave. Councilmember Elnagdy stated the numbers support the requests for additional personnel. She asked why St. Anthony has a lower population with similar staffing. Chief Diaz stated that the neighboring cities are not fully staffed. New Brighton does not respond to any medical calls. It is difficult to compare because the services St. Anthony provides are not available anywhere else in the County. Councilmember Elnagdy asked about the health outcome in St. Anthony is greater in St. Anthony compared to other communities. Chief Diaz stated our response time saves lives. Councilmember Elnagdy stated there are cities in the area that contract their fire service, and would it make sense to contract fire services with other communities? Chief Diaz stated that it would make the problem greater. The level of service would not remain if contracts with other cities were held. Deputy Chief Jaros stated they need to be fully staffed to be able to do those contracts. This would involve more staffing, training, and man-hours. Councilmember Doolan stated she understands the needs and asks how the needs can be fulfilled without the great tax burden. She asked if one person could be added to a shift to manage through the stressful times. Chief Diaz noted that prior to his coming to St. Anthony, there was talk about having a power shift that did not work due to not knowing when it would be needed. Councilmember Doolan asked if there were statistics on the types of calls received and the skills needed. Do we know our skills match our needs? Deputy Chief Jaros stated our ALS calls with a paramedic on shift are at 90%. 77% of calls in December and 356 of 1900 calls at the time needed ALS services. Councilmember Jenson referred to other cities that don’t provide healthcare services and asked who provides that care. Deputy Chief Jaros stated they rely on their ambulance service. Our firefighters and medics are experienced. Chief Diaz stated the reason why St. Anthony went to the ALS program because of the quick response to take care of our residents. During COVID, our ambulance service was inundated with calls, and the response time for the ambulance service was slow. Our Fire Department saw the need for ALS services. He is hoping to find a way to decrease the 6% levy. Mayor Webster spoke with a friend who is a fire chief in another City. They struggle to find on-call personnel. They have A, B, and C shifts. He stated it is very difficult for a Fire Chief to ask for money from the Council. The impact on staffing also impacts morale. It is important to keep morale high and the safety of personnel. Something would need to be sacrificed, either response time or a higher tax levy. We want to continue the level of service the community appreciates. Currently, 25% of the population is 65 or older. Councilmember Jenson noted that 25% is also on a fixed income. Chief Diaz stated that some of the residents receive services and don’t need to be taken to the hospital. Mr. Yunker asked the Council for their feelings on the need for increased staffing and the levy increase. Councilmember Jenson asked if there are any other funding sources to help offset the cost, and Mr. Yunker stated that the SAFER grant can be applied for. Mayor Webster stated that by bringing on 3 firefighters/paramedics, there is a benefit of training them all at once. She asked if other adjustments 6