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Council Meeting Minutes for July 10, 2023 <br />Page 9 of 11 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Discussion on Fire Department Staffing Needs <br /> <br />City Administrator Bryan Bear talked Council’s goal to determine the need for a full-time fire <br />chief and recapped past discussions. He provided information on the current structure of the fire <br />department stating there was no full-time staff, and administrative duties were divided among 11 <br />officers that received salaries. The Council had included funds in the 2023 budget for a full-time <br />fire chief, but that did not mean it needed to be spent. A decision still needed to be made <br />whether to hire one or not. If a full-time chief were hired, there may be some department <br />reorganization. <br /> <br />Earlier this year, a subcommittee was established that included Mayor Weidt, Council Member <br />Miron, Firefighters Compton, Jensen, Emans, Ducanson, and Bienik. Firefighters Hoernemann <br />and Palmqist did research from within the department and presented it to the committee. <br />Following discussions, the committee had recommended the creation of a full-time fire chief. <br /> <br />A wide range of options had been discussed. Priorities included supporting the existing paid on <br />call system and providing a succession plan with strong leader ship in officer positions. Council <br />had indicated they were comfortable with the current level of service. The survey of the <br />department members stressed the importance of keeping the current culture and department <br />operations. It was recognized Hugo’s department functioned differently from other fire <br />departments, and there was a strong desire for a fire chief to come from within the department. <br />There had been discussions on having a “farm” system to groom future fire chiefs and create a <br />team approach. Another factor discussed was availability, time commitment, and the capability <br />of handling unexpected problems. Bear reviewed what would be required of a fulltime chief and <br />the duties that could be included in a job description. He provided a proposed chain of command <br />for the department. He reviewed what was in the 2023 budget for the proposed changes to the <br />department. Based on these findings, he recommended Council authorize the hiring of a full-time <br />fire chief and asked for direction for staff to create a job description, position profile, and salary <br />structure for final Council approval at a later meeting. A full-time fire-chief would help create <br />job descriptions for other fire department positions. <br /> <br />Weidt said this was a big decision they had been wrestling with for quite a while. He thanked <br />Hoernerman and Palmquist for doing the polling among fire department members, which was <br />very helpful in answering questions before making a decision. He said he was comfortable with <br />the farm system because it was important for firefighters to have a path to grow and prosper in <br />the department. He said was comfortable with the idea of moving forward. <br /> <br />Mike added his biggest concern was maintaining the structure the City currently had while <br />bringing up future leaders. He didn’t think this would resolve all the challenges the department <br />had such as lack of daytime responders. He said it took a lot of time to get to this decision but he <br />was comfortable with it. <br /> <br />Petryk appreciated that there would be promotion from within, and she encouraged firefighters to <br />apply. Many of the firefighters had been there for a long time, and the City was very fortunate. <br />