KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Fire Chief Richard “Smokey” Dyer said he faces the difficult task of cutting $7.6 million from the fire department’s budget for fiscal year 2013.
Kansas City City Manager Troy Shulte announced Feb. 23, that 162 jobs city-wide will need to be eliminated — 105 alone from the Kansas City Fire Department. Chief Dyer doesn’t want that to happen.
City Manager Troy Shulte Pushes to Eliminate 105 Jobs from Fire Dept.
On Thursday, Dyer addressed the city council and laid out a plan to minimize job losses within the fire department. He said he’s considering ways to reduce costs by cutting supplies and equipment or by reducing fire department contracts, but still, it’s not enough to meet the $7.6 million budget cut.
Dyer said he is also considering combining pumper crews with ladder truck crews, creating multi-purpose quint firefighting units. Dyer also told the city council it may be possible to reduce the number of men on the technical rescue crews.
These crews were developed with Homeland Security funds over the last 10 years. Dyer said it may be possible to drop the six-man crew to four in an effort to meet the budget for 2013.
So far, Dyer has only recommended the closing of Station 1 in south Kansas City.
Dyer made it clear cutting jobs is not his recommendation but it’s his assumption that it’s what will be required of him.
