Ordinances providing additional funding to Springfield Fire Department move forward

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Two ordinances that could provide over 1.3 million dollars in additional funding to the Springfield Fire Department are making their way through Springfield City Council.

The first ordinance is for $1,014,500 and would cover additional salary costs. The funding would cover overtime costs due to the a lack in staffing.

"The reason we're running over by an estimated million dollars is you know, we need more bodies," said Springfield Fire Chief Ed Canny. "We're forecasting we will be over budget with our salary line and so we need an ordinance to fund our salaries to get us through the end of year."

To address the staffing shortages, Canny says the department has started several new recruitment initiatives. The second ordinance requested $311,769 for the new rookie class of firefighters. That new group of rookies would start training in January and officially staff trucks in September.

Canny says that class would fill the need the department has right now. But, they will run into issues with staffing when more people retire or get injured.

"In September they would count toward toward addressing our manpower issue, so they will get us up to an even amount," said Chief Canny. "We would hope we're going to budget in the next year for an additional class that will help us to get through the next level of retirements."

Canny compared this year to a "re-building year" for the department, working to get staffing levels up after constant recruitment struggles. By next fall, the new Fire Station 13 will be operational, which means the department will need even more staff.

Both ordinances will go to a full council vote next Tuesday.