Hendersonville City Council will consider adding as many as 15 firefighters, as well as another station on the south side, to deal with development the growing amount of calls and the need to shorten response times.
During the council’s annual retreat Friday, Fire Chief Joseph Vindigni presented preliminary results of a study conducted by Brooks Innovative Solutions to review the department’s current and future facility, staffing and fire coverage needs.
Total calls have increased by more than 167 percent since 2009, from 1,785 to 4,768 in 2017, Vindigni said. By 2023, calls are estimated to increase to more than 10,000 per year and nearly 18,000 in 2028.
According to the Times-News, the study identified staffing as the department’s greatest weakness. The fire department staffs 10 firefighters per shift across the two stations. But that is below the National Fire Protection Association’s standard to have 15 firefighters on scene within eight minutes 90 percent of the time.
Adding to the problem, oftentimes two simultaneous calls are taking place within the city, Vindigni said, ultimately lengthening response times and requiring additional aid from county departments. During instances like flooding events, it’s even busier.
Vindigni asked for the city’s blessing again this year to apply for a federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant to hire additional firefighters.
The grant pays for 75 percent of salaries and benefits for the new firefighters in the first and second year of the grant. The third year of the grant funds 35 percent of salary and benefits. The city was successful in getting the grant last year, adding three firefighters.
After hearing the staffing needs, council members agreed that Vindigni should apply for grant funding to hire 15 additional firefighters. The application deadline is March 22.
The savings to staff 15 firefighters with the grant would add up to $1.56 million over the first three years. But after the grant expires, the city would have to foot the bill of $845,670 annually to continue staffing the positions. Vindigni said a new apparatus would also need to be added for the company.
Adding the 15 firefighters would allow the department to staff a third engine in the city for all three shifts, with two firefighters, an officer and engineer, with each shift overseen by a battalion chief.
The new firefighters would technically get the department to the NFPA 15-firefighter standard, although not all the time considering vacations, sick days and time off, Vindigni said.
Aside from staffing, the study identified a need for a third fire station to the south in order to provide faster response times to neighborhoods along Greenville Highway, Spartanburg Highway and Upward Road. Firefighters can reach most areas of the city within four minutes, Vindigni said, except for the southern area.
The idea is for the new engine company to be housed at Station 1 and then move to the third station when it is built.
Another need is to replace Station 1, at 851 N. Main St., within the same general area. The study estimated $703,500 in equipment repairs are needed to the station plus $3.4 million in renovations. But even with the renovation, the size of the station and lot may not meet the department’s space needs.
When asked by the council, Vindigni felt adding a third station was a higher need than replacing Station 1.
“I think we have an underserved area in that location and I think we need to move forward with that station first,” Vindigni said. “But I think we need to be considering and working toward Station 1 immediately after that. I think we can get another couple of years out of Station 1 while (Station 3) is being built, but we need to be thinking about property and design for Station 1 immediately after.”
To fund the station, the council may consider asking voters to fund a general obligation bond.
“I think if people will vote for sidewalks, as they have repeatedly, I think this is a pretty easy sell if you lay it out,” said Councilman Steve Caraker.
