Marion’s 1991 ladder truck took center stage, as Fire Chief Brian Jackvony met with the Finance Committee on February 22 at the Music Hall.
A new ladder truck estimated to cost $1,200,000 was originally pitched as a capital need of the department, but the Capital Improvements Planning Committee ranked it outside the top-10 recommended projects for consideration of the Finance Committee and Select Board.
The existing 1991 ladder truck was bought 10 years ago from the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It recently broke down during a Wareham fire. Jackvony said the truck has outlived its useful life and according to a regional expert is beyond repair. Even parts would have to be specially manufactured. In 2016, Marion spent over $30,000 on the truck.
In discussing the need for this particular piece of equipment, Jackvony gave different scenarios where fighting fires has become more complicated.
Solar panels on roofs are a deterrent to traditional access in treating fires, he said. A ladder truck is necessary to treat boat fires, as well. Jackvony said a new ladder truck could serve Marion for 30 years. The tank capacity would be 480 gallons. To supplement that water supply, Marion has a fire engine with far greater capacity.
Jackvony said that while Mattapoisett does not have a ladder truck, Rochester and Wareham do.
“The (existing) ladder truck has been consuming a great deal of our repair money,” said Jackvony, noting that Marion is using a Mattapoisett vendor for vehicle repair at a significant savings over the factory-authorized dealer in North Attleboro.
In introducing an overview of his FY24 estimated budget, Jackvony said that the proposed 2% budget increase reflects the pay increase as dictated by the town’s Personnel Policy Classification Plan covering most if not all department employees. Jackvony said he is scheduled for a greater increase because he is employed on a contract.
Jackvony told the committee that apparatus repairs, though not a surprise, has been a point of struggle in preparing a FY24 operating budget. “The cost of materials and labor have skyrocketed over the past two years. The cost of vehicles has exploded,” he said.
A recent replacement of belts and pulleys on a town ambulance cost $1,500, nearly double what the repair typically cost prior to the pandemic, according to Jackvony, who said he was then told there was no mark-up on parts for that repair.
Contractual services have also been a challenge for the department. Jackvony said Marion uses cloud-based programs for government-mandated reporting on calls and patient care. Personnel scheduling costs, he said, are increasing from $1,000 this year to $2,000 next year and $3,000 the following year.
Consolidation of planning and reporting to one platform would result in an increase to $14,000, Jackvony said. Reporting to the federal government, he explained, is a prerequisite to eligibility for grant funding through FEMA.
Jackvony said that the department has spent $34,000, nearly exhausting its $37,400 budget line for truck repair for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30. Jackvony said the department’s budget is also affected by “consumables,” the small items it takes to run a large department.
“We’re not immune, we’re doing the best we can,” he said.
One area the Fire Department is looking to increase revenue for the town’s General Fund is emergency services. Marion last billed an annual $385,000. “If we don’t bill where we should be, the insurance companies just keep the money,” he said.
Some EMS billing, he said, is not subject to Medicare and Medicaid, and that is where he said the department could seek increases to be approved by the Select Board.
Finance Committee member Margie Baldwin, assigned to examine the Fire Department’s budget, noted that Marion charges $1,379 for a basic life-support call, significantly less than the county average of $1,700. “So we have some room,” said Baldwin.
Marion uses Coastal Medical Billing, which collects a standard 3% according to Finance Director Judy Mooney and according to Jackvony, collects an average of 89.1% of its billing to the consumers of the services rendered.
Jackvony said the Fire Department provides proactive services to prevent health crises. The service will likely fall under Mobile Integrated Help, allowing Marion to bill insurance companies, but the $30,000 license fee is coming down to approximately $5,000.
Marion Fire Department made 696 transports last year over nearly 1,000 medical calls to the department; 16% of calls overlap.
“We’re doing it all with part-time help,” said Jackvony, who recommended adding four, full-time paramedics who would also be trained as firefighters. As of now, the department schedules 416 hours per week of part-time help.
Given the imminent addition of 240 housing units, Jackvony said, “The Fire Department can’t be left behind.”
Marion is staffed round the clock in medical, but firefighters are on call weekdays after 4:00 pm.
In answer to Finance Committee Chairman Shay Assad, Jackvony had not, as of February 22, approached the Select Board about transitioning to more full-time staff. Assad recommended Jackvony propose fees to the schools (public schools and Tabor Academy) to help mitigate services not covered by the payment of taxes.
Shaun Cormier, the town’s Facilities director, also reported to the committee. Mooney summarized the department’s annual operating budget at approximately $393,000.
In addition to a 2% scheduled salary increase in his department, Cormier seeks to upgrade a laborer’s position to a carpenter’s position. He told the committee it has been difficult to find help offering $18 per hour.
“In order for this department to be successful, I need a couple of capable, experienced people under me,” said Cormier. “A carpenter position would be a huge help. Unfortunately, we’d be raising (the salary) from $18 an hour to $30.”
Cormier said the money is in the department based on a plan to save $13,600 in rent at the formerly town-owned Atlantis Drive property into the newly renovated basement of the Town House. “My plan is to move our shop down there,” he said.
Assad researched school choice and engaged the committee in a lengthy discussion, a hot topic as each of the Tri-Towns watch enrollment numbers.
The Marion Finance Committee had not scheduled its next public meeting at adjournment.
Marion Finance Committee
By Mick Colageo