TITLE
Consider an ordinance to amend the number of authorized Fire Rescue Officer and Fire Captain civil service positions for the Killeen Fire Department.
SUMMARY
AGENDA ITEM
Ordinance To Amend the Number of Authorized Fire Rescue Officer and Fire Captain Civil Service Positions for the Killeen Fire Department
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT
Human Resources
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Texas Local Government Code (TLGC), Chapter 143, became effective September, 1987; this codification represents an effort to present in a coherent and practical format the laws and civil service procedures for Texas police and fire departments. The civil service system was established in the City of Killeen in an election duly called and lawfully conducted on August 13, 1977. The rules and regulations of TLGC Chapter 143 apply to all classified police and fire officers.
One of the provisions of TLGC, Chapter 143, is that the municipality's governing body establishes the civil service classifications by ordinance, and further prescribes the number of positions in each classification [TLGC 143.021(a)].
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION
On October 6, 2015, Council approved the Department of Homeland Security SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Grant for the City of Killeen's 2015 application for salary and benefits for 37 entry-level, full-time Fire and Rescue Officers. The SAFER grant hiring process was completed in 2016 with the plan to reclassify seven (7) of these authorizations to Fire Captains when Fire Station 9 opened. Fire Station 9 is scheduled to open January 2017, and the staffing requirement of Captains will be three (3) EMS Captains, three (3) Station Captains and one (1) Fire Prevention Captain, a total of seven (7).
Human Resources is requesting to reclassify seven (7) current Fire and Rescue Officer authorizations to seven (7) Fire Captain authorizations. This change will reduce the total Fire and Rescue Officer authorizations to 183 Fire and Rescue Officers authorizations, and will add seven (7) Fire Captain authorizations for a total of thirty-six (36) Fire Captain authorizations.
The seven (7) Fire Captain authorizations are funded in the 2017 budget.
The Human Resources Department is requesting changes to nature, not the total number, of the current fire staffing, by eliminating seven (7) Fire and Rescue Officers and adding seven (7) Fire Captains.
|
Current Strength of Force for KFD |
Revised Strength of Force for KFD |
|
Fire and Rescue Officer |
190 |
Fire and Rescue Officer |
183 |
|
Fire Captain |
29 |
Fire Captain |
36 |
|
Battalion Chief |
6 |
Battalion Chief |
6 |
|
Deputy Chief of Fire |
4 |
Deputy Chief of Fire |
4 |
FISCAL IMPACT
The estimated salary and benefit cost to reclassify seven (7) Fire and Rescue Officers to seven (7) Fire Captains is $65,365.49. Funding is available in the Fire Department's FY 2017 budget in account numbers 010-7070-442-40-05, 010-7070-442-45-10, 010-7070-442-45-15 and 010-7070-442-45-20.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the adoption of the proposed ordinance changing the nature, not the total number, of civil service positions, eliminating seven (7) entry-level, full-time Fire and Rescue Officer positions and adding seven (7) Fire Captain positions.