MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Fire Department said it plans to return a fire station and a medical unit in 2024 if its upcoming budget passes.
At Wednesday's city budget hearing, Fire Chief Aaron Lipski and department staff broke down goals and numbers now that the state's new shared revenue bill provides more money to first responders and emergency services.
"It's a very good thing and a very good thing for my existing staff who are getting a little crispy if I'm being quite honest," said Lipski.
The Chief said he'll likely announce which station would reopen by the end of the week. He said the department is considering Engine 17 at 13th and Layton, Engine 6 at Brady and Franklin, and Engine 31 at 8th and Hayes.
"A four-person engine will come back online, and we'll add a two-person paramedic unit," said Lipski.
Daily staffing would increase from 192 to 198 firefighters under the proposed changes.
Between equipment, salary, and other increases, the department is asking for a budget of $145,145,416 in 2024, up $16,943,390 from last year.
With a bigger budget, the department also plans to improve response times and diversity among staff.
"We've been on a very good track with that. But let's call it what it is. Nobody is happy with our demographics. But we can demonstrate through very intentional actions, we are improving it year over year over year," said Lipski.
The budget presentation showed growth in non-white males and females among recruits and cadets over the past few years. But little, data showed, has changed among the largely all-white male command staff.
"Our ability to expand is absolutely going to help us diversify," said Lipski.
The Fire and Police Commission also on Wednesday presented its budget, including emergency management improvements ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next summer. Those include the introduction of a citywide alert system. Currently, the city shares emergency information with the county to push out.
"All these plans and all these trainings leading up through the convention are going to be vetted through exercises and testing so that we can stress the system," said Ryan Zollicofer, the FPC's Emergency Management Director.
The commission has also budgeted to help expand recruiting for police and firefighters. Departments must reach new quotas under the shared revenue law — 218 firefighters and 1,725 police over the next ten years from the start of the new city sales tax.
In total, the FPC is asking the city for a 2024 budget of $5,138,099, up $619,734 from last year.
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