2015 Five-Year Capital Budget Plan: The Fire Department

The Roselle Park Fire Department submitted a $2 million projected budget request over the next half decade. The first year in their five-year capital budget plan had the highest number of items – 18 – and the largest dollar amount at $449,900 – an over 15.5% increase than the subsequent four years. Years 2016 through 2019 had only 10 items each with most of those requests being purchased a few items at a time over the next half decade.

The first year, minus the multi-year installment purchase requests, totaled $60,000, with the largest amount being for a thermal imaging camera. This equipment can ‘see’ through smoke and flames in a structure fire. The 18 itemized items allotted for 2015 were a replacement of a failed fire hose, two (2) defibrillator units, Hamatro portable multi-tool, miscellaneous hand rescue tools, three (3) chainsaws, miscellaneous grips/nozzles/adapters, emergency case & regulator, electric PPV turbo blower (with 60Hz engine), MultiRAE multi-gas monitor With PIDs (Photo Ionization Detectors), Petrogen Portable Cutting System, two (2) cutoff saws, Lanco shed for pick-up, two (2) gas meters with hose attachments, a thermal imaging camera, three (3) hand lights & box lights, wire, twist-lock plugs, garage door buttons, and HT1250 software.

The largest purchase item in the proposed five-year budget outlook was the replacement of Engine 3 for $800,000, with a yearly allotment of $160,000. The next highest requests came out to $350,000 each. The first was for the required upgrades to the department’s radio system due to Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulations. The other was for an addition to Station 3. Five (5) Scott SCBA Air Packs for a total of $137,500 and ten (10) Scott SCBA Air Bottles for $65,000 were in the plan with each amount budgeted over the five years for a total of $202,500. This equipment is steel tanks and support units that are usually seen on firefighters when they work a fire. Six (6) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) gear had a five-year budget at $81,000; these are the dark siege uniforms – along with other equipment – that firefighters wear when responding to an active call. Air compressors for Scott Air Packs were put into each year’s budget at $11,000 for a final total of $55,000. Six (6) UHF radios and pagers along with the necessary batteries were allotted at a total of $48,000. A washer and dryer for turnout gear was also included at $35,000. A vehicle for the Fire Chief was on the list to be purchased in the final year of the five-year outlook for an amount of $28,000.

Out of the 28 itemized requests:

  • eight (8) of them were for all three fire houses
  • two (2) were for the Lorraine Fire House and Faitoute Fire House
  • one (1) was for the Lorraine Fire House and Central Engine Fire House
  • five (5) were for the Lorraine Fire House
  • two (2) were for the Central Engine Fire House
  • eight (8) were for the Faitoute Fire House

Only one purchase request was for an individual position, the Fire Chief’s vehicle.

This budget did not include the salaries paid to the officers of each company as those are in the operating budget of the department.

DESCRIPTION
Station
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
TOTALS
10 Scott SCBA Air Bottles
1
2
3
$13,000
$13,000
$13,000
$13,000
$13,000
$65,000
6 Firefighter PPE/Gear
1
2
3
$16,200
$16,200
$16,200
$16,200
$16,200
$81,000
5 Scott SCBA Air Packs
1
2
3
$27,500
$27,500
$27,500
$27,500
$27,500
$137,500
6 UHF Portable Radios, Pagers, and Batteries
1
2
3
$9,600
$9,600
$9,600
$9,600
$9,600
$48,000
Air Compressor For Scott Air Packs
1
2
3
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$55,000
Washer & Dryer For Turnout Gear
1
2
3
$7,000
$7,000
$7,000
$7,000
$7,000
$35,000
Chief's Vehicle
$5,600
$5,600
$5,600
$5,600
$5,600
$28,000
Upgrade Radio System Due To FCC Regs
1
2
3
$70,000
$70,000
$70,000
$70,000
$70,000
$350,000
Replace Failed Fire Hose
1
2
3
$2,500
$2,500
2 Difibrilator Units
1
3
$3,000
$3,000
Hamatro Portable Multi Tool
2
$3,000
$3,000
Miscellaneous Hand Rescue Tools
1
$1,200
$1,200
3 Chainsaws
1
2
$5,000
$5,000
Miscellaneous Grips, Nozzles, And Adapters
1
3
$5,000
$5,000
Emergency Case And Regulator
1
$750
$750
Electric PPV Turbo Blower With 60Hz Engine
1
$2,700
$2,700
MultiRAE Multi-Gas Monitor With PID
1
$4,000
$4,000
Petrogen Portable Cutting System
1
$3,000
$3,000
2 Cutoff Saws
2
$2,600
$2,600
Lanco Shed For Pickup
2
$7,500
$7,500
On-Board Radio Charger And Power Inverter
3
$1,750
$1,750
2 Gas Meters With Hose Attachments
3
$3,200
$3,200
Thermal Imaging Camera
3
$13,000
$13,000
3 Hand Lights And Box Lights
3
$600
$600
HT1250 Software
3
$500
$500
Wire, Twist Lock Plugs, Garage Door Buttons
3
$700
$700
Replace Engine 3
3
$160,000
$160,000
$160,000
$160,000
$160,000
$800,000
Addition For Station 3
3
$70,000
$70,000
$70,000
$70,000
$70,000
$350,000
TOTALS
$449,900
$389,900
$389,900
$389,900
$389,900
$2,009,500