Louisville Fire officials say department needs $31 million to catch up on deferred maintenance

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's fire department needs $31 million to make repairs to its 21 fire stations.

Leaders made their case to Metro Council Wednesday evening for new recruits, equipment and pay raises. While pay raises are included in the budget, the rank and file need to approve a new contract first.

Maintenance on the city's firehouses has been deferred for years, and the department estimates it needs about $31 million just to catch up. But the city's mayor and council said they need to wait one more year.

"So Mayor (Craig) Greenberg has absolutely committed to fire stations, and that is not lip services, although he has said it is not in this budget. We didn't get there overnight, and we are not going to get out of it overnight," Louisville Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said.

Greenberg is investing in a fund for deferred maintenance that the department can use next year.

The rope used in March during the rescue of a semitruck driver off the Second Street Bridge was 10 years old and past its useful service life, but O'Neill said that will not happen again.

"We have checks that our firefighters do weekly and monthly, and if anything is unserviceable, we write it up and it gets replaced right away," he said.

The share of the Louisville Fire Department's budget covers salaries and benefits. But firefighters rejected the city's latest contract offer earlier this month, saying it was too long and raises were not equal to other agencies. The city has not set a time table to negotiate a new contract.

"I have made at least a couple of requests and one of them being formal, and I understand the mayor's position of having ongoing negotiations with other bargaining units, but that does not prevent us from setting dates," Jeff Taylor, president of IAFF Local 54, the union representing Louisville's firefighters, said.

The new budget does include money for one new fire truck, which will not be delivered for three years. It also includes $800,000 for station maintenance — officials said one station needs a new roof, which is estimated to cost $250,000.

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