CM Ariola questions OMB on fifth firefighter, EMS pay, and firehouse repairs

Councilmember Areola, are you there?

Yep, I'm not sure if you can hear me.

Yep.

Okay, because I'm not getting it.

Okay, great.

So thank you, chairs.

I want to go over a couple of things that

that we discussed at the executive budget hearing for fire and emergency management.

So in your testimony, I did not hear anything about the fifth firefighter, that expansion that has been proposed by the speaker and the council, EMS pay raises.

And I would like to know what you plan to do with both of those topics, as well as

taking out your money and making it available now for firehouses that are in terrible disrepair so that they can be fixed sooner than later.

Sure, Council Member.

Thank you for your questions.

So on the fifth firefighter, we look forward to having that discussion with the Council.

We know that fire safety is of paramount importance.

We know the Council put forward a proposal.

We know prior to that, the union had put forward a proposal.

Again, we look forward in the next few weeks to have that discussion.

On the EMS parity, you know, this is something that, you know, the fire commissioner believes deeply in.

and has testified to that fact.

I think the mayor also has publicly talked about the challenges that are faced in terms of EMS.

We look forward to working with the new union leadership.

There is a new president that was elected for that local.

There are conversations between the Office of Labor Relations and that local, and we look forward to having a collective bargaining discussion.

Where we can hopefully make progress on the last EMS contract round.

And then finally, on your question on firehouses, we were proud to include in the executive budget capital funding to renovate six firehouses.

That will be obviously determined in terms of the most sort of in need of state of good repair.

So we're proud that that was a start.

Your suggestion about looking at out-year capital funding to accelerate, we will take a look at.

We're constantly looking at our capital plan and seeing what kind of opportunities may exist to advance funding.

But we put up funding for the six firehouses as a start.

And we want our firefighters to be in, you know, state-of-the-art facilities as best as we can.

And we want to invest the dollars to do so.

And just one last question.

The money that you're appropriating for the six firehouses, is that immediate?

Get money or is that out your money?

That is.

We have $24 million for FY31, and we will look at being able to, again, per your suggestion, seeing what can be advanced.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Great.

We've also been joined by Purina Sanchez, Gail Brewer, and Selvena Brooks-Powers, and we have Shulman, followed by Dinowitz.