City Council - Regular Meeting

Good morning. My name is Ben Weber. I'm the District six City Councillor and the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. Today is 05/11/2026, and the exact time is 10:02. So I just have a few preliminaries to get through here.

This hearing is being recorded. It's also being livestreamed at boston.gov/citycounciltv and broadcast on Xfinity channel eight, RCN channel 82 and Fios channel 9.64. The council's budget review process encompasses a series of public hearings beginning in April and running through June. We strongly encourage the public to participate in our hearings, and they can give testimony for the record in several ways. First, they can attend one of our hearings and give public testimony.

They can either do that in person or virtually via Zoom. For a full hearing schedule, look at our website. You can find it on boston.gov/councilbudget. We also have a in person listening session the '4, which will be Thursday evening, May twenty sixth at 6PM right here in the chamber. You can give, testimony again in person at any of our hearings or at the public listening session or by Zoom.

For in person testimony, please come to the chamber and sign up on the sheet near the entrance. For virtual testimony, you can sign up using our online form at our council budget review website or by emailing the committee at ccc. Wmboston dot gov or by emailing Karishma Chauhan, that's karishma.chouhan@boston.gov. When you are called to testify, please state your name, your residence and, your affiliation with any organization, and, we will, limit public comments to two minutes each. In lieu of testifying virtually or in person at hearing, you can email written testimony to the committee at ccc.

Wmboston dot gov. Third, you can submit a two minute video of your testimony through the form on our website. For more information on the City Council's budget process and how to testify, please visit the City Council's budget website at boston.gov/councilbudget. Again in person public testimony will be taken following the first round of councilor questions. Individuals will be called on the order in which they have signed up and will have two minutes to testify.

If you wish to sign up for public testimony and haven't done so again, please email our director of legislative budget analysis, Karish Machoan, at karishma.chouhan@boston.gov for the Zoom link, and your name will be added to the list. This morning's hearing is on docket numbers 0733 to 0740, an overview of the fiscal year two thousand twenty seven operating budget for the Boston Fire Department. This is one in a series of hearings to review the fiscal year two thousand twenty seven budget these matters were sponsored by mayor Michelle Wu and were referred to the committee on April I'm joined by my colleagues on arrival apologies to councillor Louie Jen but I've got councillor Flynn first, councillor Louie Jen second and then councillor Murphy. Well we often have opening statements at hearings like this we're waving them in the budget hearings So you'll hear from my colleagues in a second. I'm going to introduce the panelists.

We're joined today by Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Finance, Kevin Coyne Deputy Fire Chief for the Training Division, Scott Malone Deputy of Operations Field Services, Patrick Ellis and for his first hearing here as our our new Fire Commissioner, Rodney Marshall. Again, congratulations and this is an interesting way to start. But Oh, I'm sorry.

So you know it's someone Okay.

I apologize. Can you just tell me your name so I can get it down right? Michael

Gaskins. G A S K I N S. I'm the recruitment officer for the department. Okay. First name? Michael. Michael. Okay.

Thank you. Okay. We're joined by Michael Gaskins. Recruiting Officer. Recruitment Officer for the Boston Fire Department. Okay, thank you very much. And again, welcome. So, I don't know if you have a presentation or comments, so I'm going to give the floor to the panelists, then we'll go to my colleagues for questions.

Thank you, chair Weber. Good morning, everyone.

Good morning.

I would like to thank mayor Wu for her continued support of the Boston Fire Department. I also would like to thank the office of budget management for their assistance in the budget process. I'd also like to thank deputy commissioner Kevin Coyne and his team for the tireless work that they do throughout the year to keep the department financially responsible. I'd like to thank the panelists here today with us, Chief of Operations Pat Ellis, Recruitment Officer Michael Gaskins, Grant Manager Julie Devon, Safety Health and Wellness Deputy Chief Jody Shea, Chief in Hazmat chief Keith Kelly and that that's it for our panelists today. Thank you again chair Webb and the members of the means and ways committee for holding this hearing today.

I'd like to also thank Councilor Ed Flynn, Councilors Aaron Murphy, and Councilor Lucy Lejuan Lejuan. Excuse me for the mispronunciation. The primary mission of the Boston Fire Department is to provide the residents and visitors of the city with the highest level of fire protection and emergency services. Every day our firefighters, officers, and dedicated civilian employees work together to protect the lives, properties, and neighborhoods of a wide range of hazards while adapting to the growing demands placed on the on the modern fire fire department. We are cognizant of the current fiscal constraints facing the city of Boston.

We remain committed to identifying efficiencies and reducing expenses across all areas of our operations in order to make meaningful contributions to the city city's overall fiscal health. Over the past decade, the Boston Fine Apartments operating budget has remained largely level level funded. During the same period, the cost of delivering emergency service services has steadily increased. Rising equipment and apparatus costs, contractual obligations under collective bargaining agreements, and expanding complexities of emergency response have all placed additional strains on the operating budget. More recently more recently, reductions in state funding for firefighter training has required the department to absorb costs that were previously supported through external sources.

In addition, the department has made important investments to ensure that its long term strength and sustainability, including the establishment of the fire cadet program. This program is essential to developing next generation of firefighters and for maintaining a diverse, well trained workforce. But it also represents a new and necessary budgetary commitment. The funding request before you reflects a careful and responsible assessment of the department's operational needs. It is designed not to expand beyond necessity but to preserve service levels, maintain readiness, and ensure that our members have the training, equipment, and support required to do their jobs safely and effectively.

As fire commissioner of the city of Boston, I respectfully request that the funding outlined in the budget proposal be approved and we are hopeful that we can answer your questions. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you very much. We're going to go to my colleagues and Board of Arrivals. That's the end of that?

Sorry. We do have a presentation, Chairman Weber, if we wanted to go through that first.

Oh, yes, please.

And it's just short presentation just to highlight the work that's being done. Understand that the Office of Budget Management has submitted to you through the RFI process all of the documents related to our budget submission this year. We are here today to answer those questions, but we thought it would be a good opportunity for us to highlight some of the critical work that we're doing that as a result of the funding that we received through the City of Boston, the Budget Office and City Council.

Yeah, that would be great. Do the presentation. I forgot to remind the panelists. You don't have to press the buttons. We have central staff can can operate that

Okay.

Complicated apparatus. But, when so who who wants to

I I can take it.

You ready? Okay.

Yes. So, the next slide, please. This is just really just a tagline from the Boston Fire Department. We're an organization of dedicated professionals who are committed to serving in the community by protecting life, property, and the environment through prevention, education, emergency medical, civil defense, and fire service. We protect all Boston residents and the hundreds of thousands of people who work, shop, and visit, and call the city of Boston home.

The Boston Fire Department is commonly referred to as the first in the nation. Next, please. So this document, and luckily I have my subject matter expert here, Julie Devon, who can answer any questions you might have related to the grants. So currently we are recipient of eight active federal grants through the Department of DHS and FEMA, BJA, Boston Jobs Alliance, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Department of Transportation totaling $1,800,000 in federal monies. The grants make up one is the peer support program which provides clinical director and chief training within our organization.

The next one is marine firefighting and land based firefighting commitment training and control. Another offshoot of that is marine firefighting for land based. We have another grant that funds the hot work training and hot work has been particularly important for the Boston fire Department because that terrible tragedy that occurred on Beacon Street was a direct result of that, which, you know, changed the legislation and how hot work is done and, you know, we're we're very cognizant of the ongoing training that needs to be done with that. The next one is purchase purchase and installation of carbon monoxide detectors with education and outreach. We've been doing that for just over a year, very successful in some of the neighborhoods.

We've completed a large installation in Chinatown and most recently another successful campaign in Hyde Park and Mattapan. Another grant that we've received and worked diligently on is the Boston Fire Department Forensic Lab Accreditation. Previously, our lab was not accredited. So this work will allow us to, you know, all will ensure that all of the work that we're doing in terms of arson investigation is fully vetted and secure within the city of Boston archives. And the other one is command level training, and it's really just multi agency.

It's how we can work better together with multiple agencies across the city of Boston. Next slide, please. There are so the other grants that we're receiving, have six active state grants that we received. Two of them are earmarks that we received is is hazmat training is $1,400,000 and the second one is the Department of Fire Training Academy grant for $1,700,000. Both of those have been instrumental in the success of the training, that the hazmat folks conduct and as well as the training academy on Moon Island would be actually lost without those.

Another air mark that we received was a legislative authority, which allowed us last summer to have a dedicated Delta car in the South Boston Castle Island, Casa Beach area to provide to any medical emergency or any critical incident that occurred and that was very successful last year. Another one we have is the fire alarm dispatch which provides education and for the fire alarm division to make sure they're completely up to date with the changing, you know, technology and all of the works that they do. Another offshoot of that is the personnel, which is the CAD, which, you know, supports fire alarm, which also we're linked in with EMS and Boston Police Department. And another training, which has been somewhat new, which has been very successful this year, is an elevator rescue kit training exercise that has been conducted for the department. Next slide, please.

So, again, I'm grateful to work with really talented and educated people that really can help support the work of the fire department. The fire department is extremely committed to the diversity of the department in total, and the biggest component of that over the past three years or so has been the cadet program. I'm joined by my colleague Michael Gaskins who is going to highlight some of the demographics of the department and the cadet program itself.

Thank you, Kevin. And thank you, chair and city councilors for the opportunity to present. We're excited. We're a few years into our process for the cadet program where we've seen some great gains. One thing that we wanna highlight is the focus on casting a large net over the city Of Boston for our applicant pool.

Prior to the cadet program and now with the new hybrid process, we are looking at and considering targeting Boston residents, the people that have more than three years of residency in the city of Boston within our applicant pool. Prior to this, we're just using civil service as the applicant pool. We're casting a net over the state of Massachusetts for those that are coming from military service into the city of Boston and oftentimes not being a Boston residents. So the opportunity to really have a applicant pool that's more reflective of the city of Boston is really our our our approach. We had our first cadet class that was eligible for appointment go in this past April and now they're firefighters on probation or FFOPs.

Our second class went in as far as appointment goes in January and just recently graduated many of whom are now in their first week of service to the department. So we're excited. Those two classes represented record breaking numbers of women in particular, which is a very underrepresented population within the fire department and has historically been such. So the programming that really relates to targeting qualified individuals in the city of Boston we can say has been rather successful. We're excited about continued funding and support of the cadet program.

One of the highlights of the cadet program is the majority of the cadets that are going into an academy class actually have EMT certification. So we're excited that the resources that we're putting into the cadets put them in a much better position to not only go into an academy but to graduate from an academy. And I'm happy to answer any questions that you all might have regarding the hybrid or or the cadets. Actually, you go to the next slide. Given that the hybrid process was relatively new with the passing of civil service options for us to opt into a hybrid process.

Again, the recruit class for the first time in in many years had a more balanced approach to the applicant pool and a more balanced approach to the recruit class in and of itself. The hybrid hire demographics you'll see indicate we hired 13 people off the for the hybrid list and it was a really good mix of people, different backgrounds and representation within the city of Boston. And we're excited to say from deputy chief Malone, the 13 hybrid applicants fared very well within the academy class and we're happy to repeat that going forward. Next slide. This is just an overall view of our demographics to date for the cadet program.

We are actually in the vetting process right now for our delta class. So we've we use the military alphabet, alpha bravo Charlie. We have three classes that are three cohorts that are active now. Most of our Alphas have gone into an academy class now and have graduated. We're excited that Charlie will be coming up excuse me.

Bravo will be coming up on their, two years, for appointment, and, Charlie is up and running. We're in the process now of, actually vetting for Delta to be hired with a start date in June. And again, if you follow us on social media, you'll see that the cadets are the best of us. They really reflect, a good portion of the city with language skills. Again, most of the kids were born and raised here and they have a great opportunity at a great career and we're excited that a good showing within the recruit classes have been for the last two recruit classes, the top academy recruit has been a cadet. So we thank you for your time and we look forward to fielding any questions that you might have.

Next slide please. So as part of the work that we wanted to do today was, you know, in addition to, you know, we're grateful for the funding that we're receiving. We thought it would be important to show, you know, how we're using some of these funds. One big accomplishment that occurred earlier this year, just actually March 1 was the implementation of a detail detail software. So details are a condition where firefighters are asked to report when they're doing some type of either work on it could be hard work.

It could be a public event where fire is used or fireworks or anything like that. In in the past, it was, you know, 100% paper process. You know, there was these index cards that were filled out. It was signed by, you know, the firefighters, the company representing the who requested the detail and that information would be taken back to the fire department manually entered to pay for the firefighters that conducted the detail and then we would also bill out the work to the person that requested the detail. So by going with the software, we've taken all of that manual process out of that and it's been extremely successful with this going forward where the firefighters are getting paid in a much quicker time.

We're able to bill out the money that the vendors have requested these details and collect that money more more swiftly. And hoping and I know we when this RFP went out a couple of years ago, we worked with the Boston Police Department and a couple of other smaller city departments. I believe the Parks Department and ISD will be implementing the software at some point in time. A tremendous investment for the city, but we're already seeing the benefit of that. So that's been very highlighted.

I also mentioned a couple of items here too with the class and I think Michael has mentioned those. Mean, very proud of the number of people that we've been able to graduate through our cadet program and our recruit program. Another, we have been a recipient of the AFG grant for since 2017 and that money has allowed us to fund skin cancer clinics, which last year we screened five eighty seven firefighters. Ninety four of those members needed to have follow ups for things that appeared on their screening. Two of them had identified melanomas.

Another part of that AFG grant was to conduct comprehensive body scans. So this was a complete assessment of the body. It was done through an MRI machine, but there was also urinalysis and blood tests that were taken as part of that in addition to the low dose CT scan. And that information was pretty comprehensive as well. There were six thirty seven firefighters who had high risk of things that were identified as part of those scans.

Four hundred and thirteen of those firefighters had cardiovascular issues and and that enabled them to have access to early intervention. Another very successful program that we have, it's not just about treating disease, it's trying to prevent them. So we have nutritionists that works with the fire department and she has conducted over five forty six sessions with the firefighters to help them reverse, you know, anything that's on their scanning scans or help them improve their overall health. We also have an injury prevention specialist who deals with firefighters to either help them strategize on ways to prevent illness or if they are returning from an injury that they may have resulted. The the physical therapist is working with them on the best protocols to be able to prevent further injury and make sure at the same time they're staying healthy.

The facilities, I mean, Boston Fire Department is made up of over 40 buildings. They're they're very old, most of them, and, you know, have had some deferred maintenance over the many years. But part of the work that we're doing is, again, falls directly in line with the safety, health, and wellness. We call it industrial cleaning, where we will go in and we will clean these firehouses and remove any possible carcinogens. So part of that work is the firehouse is emptied out.

Any soft goods, materials, furniture is replaced or cleaned. The walls are all power washed, high powered cleaning done on those, and then everything's repainted, the floors, and it also involves a deep cleaning of the industrial venting system within the building to improve the overall health of our firefighters. Next slide, please. And this is somewhat of a unique talk topic especially because of as we're dealing with sale Boston coming up, the Boston Fire Department is very proud of the marine unit that we have. And in the past year, we have been a recipient of three new vessels totaling over $9,000,000.

The city invested in capital goods to allow us to modernize our force. This boat that you see on the screen here is, you know, it's making its way to Boston. I believe it's leaving leaving, you know, from Upstate New York this week to make its way here, and we'll go through a series of tests when it finally gets here. But it's will be tested in in the en route from Upstate New York. And it's a 69 foot custom boat, totally state of the art, 100% electronic really with everything a modern firefighter would need and also to deal with Boston Harbor, which is a small harbor, but very challenging in terms of the way it's set up.

The capital investment, you know, that the budget office has given us for these boats is $9,200,000 and all of our boats will be ready to deal with the influx of people that will be coming to enjoy all that Boston has to offer this summer. So we're very excited about these boats coming. Next slide, please. You know, everything that is happening at the fire department is really a direct result of, you know, the training. If we you know, training is so crucial to making sure we stay on top of everything that it requires to be a modern firefighter today.

So, part of the training academy highlights for last year was, you know, a new program on electronic battery innovation, how to store them, how to put out fires. We're looking at the department developed a custom nozzle to be able to put out electric fire electric fires, you know, and they estimate that saved over a $100,000 and not having to buy them. So what they did, they retrofitted a current nozzle that was already in in use within the fire service. The training academy has also partnered with the MBTA. And as part of that partnership, we have received a 300 foot red line train that was taken out of service.

And we also have a green line train that's coming. So with the two additions of these cars, it will allow us to have actual, you know, trains to actually train our firefighters on and local firefight fire houses from the Greater Boston area that use our Moon Island Academy for training. And that's, you know, anytime you can have something real life training, it's it's very good. We also have we're working with Amtrak and Acela to do some training on some of their boats. So sorry.

Some of their trains. Marine firefighting, you know, we're working with the United States Coast Guard on on working on a port ship training, and we're also working with Logan Airport on some aerial training for mainly the use of drones. Part of the field training and certification that happens is all firefighters go to a core core competencies, which test all of their skills completely. Safety and survival, again, making sure they're staying up to date on everything that's possible. And then also we're looking at what the state fire service that, you know, they're constantly looking at ways of improving the testing that we that firefighters are opting to go through and making sure we're staying on a target with all that.

And then always, we're looking for ways of, you know, conducting large scale search and training and then we call it back to basics, which to make sure that in addition to all the specialized training that's happening within the department that we, you know, are are not straying far from, you know, at which at the core of firefighting. Next slide, please. So as I said, you know, we are you know, the fire Boston Fire Department is made up of 40 different buildings, you know, very old buildings for the most part. You know, we have been lucky that we've had, you know, three new fire houses in the past, you know, four or five years and several more that are in the planning stages. You know, Engine 17 was the most recent one which is open just over a year.

We're working on some fuel infrastructure projects and part of that is just really upgrading the way that fuel is being stored within the Boston Fire Department. Some of it was underground, and that creates some challenges. So we're we're looking at ways of upgrading those facilities to make sure they're completely safe. Engine seventeen, now we're in phase two of that project, which the old firehouse is right behind the newer one. So construction is underway now, which involves the demolition of that old firehouse, and that's going to make way for a new fire pump, fuel pump that will be located there, and a fuel detection system, which is engaged to give us the high reliability of life safety detection.

We're working on Engine 8, which is in the North End Of Voss on Hanover Street, you know, which needs some extensive work. So there's a design study currently underway for that project to which include roof replacement, kitchen relocation. As it is right now, the kitchen is on the 1st Floor with the apparatus. And with all modern, you know, firefighting, you know, recommendations today, the modern theory is to separate, you know, where the apparatus and all the carcinogens may reside from where the firefighters actually live. So all of those things, kitchens, sleeping quarters, bathrooms for the most part, should be separate from where the fire trucks are going in and out of and where the apparatus and their bunker gear is stored.

We're working on an engine three study for a new firehouse. Also, Moon Island Seawall, this has been a long on standing ongoing project to replace the seawall. And currently it has gone through several different iterations of design. They have been doing some work and we're also we also partnered with property management in the city to apply for some federal grants, some state grants actually to work We We with do

lot

project at Engine the nine in East Boston, which is to have the apron, which is, you know, basically the driveway of the firehouse replaced. It was subjected to severe, just weather, I think, had deterred that project. Next slide. So that, you know, is, again, just an overall view of some of the work that we're doing. We're happy to take any questions that you might have this morning, and we thank you for the opportunity to be here.

Okay. Thank you to the panelists. We're gonna go to my colleagues in order of arrival. We've have been joined by council president Liz Braden and and councilor John Fitzgerald. So, we're going to have a first round of questions and come back for a second if if necessary and maybe a third if we have time. So, seven minutes per councillor. Councillor Flynn, whenever you're ready.

Thank Mr.

Chair. I wanna say congratulations and welcome to the fire commissioner, commissioner Marshall. It's good to be with you. Had an opportunity to speak early this morning with you and also wanna welcome the chief and to the others as well that are here, Mr. Gaskins and Mr.

Coyne. I also want to acknowledge the President of the Boston firefighters local seven eighteen, Sam Dillon, an outstanding labor leader, an outstanding leader in our city. During these challenging times, what what I believe is important is we don't see reductions or cuts in any services at the fire department. Fire suppression, those are types of issues and, firefighters and offices riding fire trucks and responding to nine eleven calls. That must be the priority.

But you don't see any cuts at all. Is that accurate to say, commissioner?

That is correct. We don't have any cuts in terms of personnel at this point. We just as mister Gasson said earlier, we just hired a new class that just graduated in last month in April of 52 firefighters. So at this time, our our contingency of members is right where we need to be. Okay.

Commissioner of Boston Fire Department responding to medical emergencies, including overdoses. Are they are those calls up or down? And oftentimes the fire department is often there before the police department. Do you keep track of that data?

We do keep track of that data. It goes into a database called the infra system. So all of those numbers are tracked on a daily basis and on a yearly basis.

Have those calls have those responses gone up?

At this time the calls are constant, have been constant from previous years, but we just got a new reporting system that actually we went from a digital number based system to a word based system. So as as this new system evolves and unrolls, we might see differences in how the numbers reflect it.

Okay. I also want to acknowledge employee assistance specialist Brian Knee for being here. Lieutenant Brian, thank you for the work you were doing. Commissioner, when someone fentanyl is obviously one of the most horrific drugs out there and very dangerous. When a firefighter responds to a medical situation overdose rather, should say about someone an overdose due to fentanyl, Is that a concern a medical concern for the firefighters? And how how do you prevent or ensure that the firefighter is also not impacted by, being contaminated by that strong that strong drug?

It's always a concern that our members could be contaminated by that strong drug, but we try to provide the best equipment, medical PPE for our members to wear and that's within our protocol when we respond to medicals or fire incidents to have on our proper PPE before we assist anyone.

Has a firefighter ever been exposed to fentanyl due to responding to that type of overdose situation?

Not to my knowledge.

No. Okay. How often a firefighter firefighter is on the scene before any other first responders? Is it is it, majority of the time or do you

It that it would be the majority of the time because of I the way fire houses are placed throughout this the city. We are able to respond to most incidents in less than four minutes.

Okay. Commissioner, a lot of firefighters tell me that due to the traffic that the stuff stuck in traffic trying to get to an emergency, a medical call, People are not pulling over for various reasons, but, response time, you said it's four minutes, but don't you think the don't you think we have challenges with the with the traffic and, some of the road infrastructure?

The city has become more and more congested as we know. But to this point, again, like I said, for the most part, we're still able to get to these calls within a four minute time frame.

Okay. A lot of a lot of tourists coming this summer, traffic. But what what specifically are you doing in terms of working with other first responders to address traffic, but also coordinating and and working together?

We work with the Boston Police Department in terms of, you know, making sure that roads have the the correct access for us to get in and out of. That's based upon whatever type of event may be going on in the city at the time. We work with the traffic department as well. So we we have a good relationship with the other organizations in the city to to mitigate overcrowding and traffic incidents.

Thank you. I I Kevin, I worked with you and and and the the previous fire commissioner in Chinatown in the South End, especially helping the Asian community get get response, the infrastructure in place at their apartment. So the carbon monoxide. But I want to say thank you to you. Was that one of the grants you highlighted, Kevin, when you own

direction. And so And campaigns and we highlighted the Chinatown District first with your help and your office's help. And most recently, we worked with councilor Luigian and councilor Pepin and the Hyde Park and Mattapan area. In addition to the the larger scale campaigns that we're doing, we're doing somewhat micro campaigns. Mhmm.

So anytime we're just keeping an ongoing list of households all over Boston that need them. I believe we're installing about 40 homes this week. And we're going to continue to do that. We're looking at doing another larger scale program in Dorchester probably sometime either late summer or early fall.

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you to the commissioner. Thank you to the fire department. Fire prevention, fire education programs are critical. I'm I'm a strong supporter of them. I don't wanna see any cuts at all to any program at the fire department, and I'm gonna fight tooth and nail if anyone's gonna try to cut anything out of the out of the fire department budget. Thank you, mister chair.

Okay. Thank you. Councilor Louis Jen, seven minutes.

Thank you, mister chair. And congratulations again to commissioner Marshall. It was very exciting to be there and present for, your install installation and to just learn more about your record of service and excellence here in the city of Boston. So we're just really excited to have you in this chair. And again, wanna give another just thank you to commissioner Burke for all of the incredible work that he did in the city of Boston.

So as as the commissioner. And I you know, I last week, there's been a number of fires in in in very close to me around the corner on Friday night in Mattapan on Cummins Highway and earlier in the week in on Metropolitan Avenue in Hyde Park. And just wanna thank the Boston Fire Department for responding in in as quickly as they did in trying to help the families there. And it was mentioned that my my office has has enjoyed partnering with the fire department to make sure that we provide people with education and the tools that they need to prevent fires and the hazards of carbon monoxide. Thank you.

My first question is about the this is a department that sees that we see an increase in the personnel from year to year 9,000,000 of nine nine point seven million. Is that can can you explain what that is a a result of? Is that the cadet program? Is that the the hybrid? What is driving that personnel increase? Or is that just us, the city council agreeing to the compensation? What is driving that?

Yes. Councillor. Thank you. The bulk of that is due to the collective bargaining agreement.

Yep. Okay. Thank you. And what are we paying now to what are what are the what is the salary or the compensation that cadets currently are earning?

Cadets earn about $32,000 per year and they're fully benefited so they you know, health benefits, things of that nature, but they they earn about $32,000 per year.

Thank you. And what was the starting well, this is we are now in the the Delta class for the cadets. What was the starting when when it was first introduced, what was the salary for them then?

Might have been around 29,000.

29. So it's seen about a 3,000. Yeah. And I wanna thank you officer Gaskins because you've been incredibly faithful in stewarding that program and stewarding it with, like, the most utmost integrity to make sure that it's benefiting Boston residents in the fairest way possible. So just wanted to say thank you for that. If you could talk a little bit about the you know, it was mentioned about the different points of entry right now into the fire department and the comparison between them, the traditional process, the cadet program, the hybrid option, and just talk about the difference between the between those. That's either to you, officer, to chief, or to the commissioner.

Yeah. Thank you. I call it a full court press where we're able to utilize all three avenues for recruitment process and really a valued process for the department. Nothing like it in the nation. We're we're excited that we're partnering with civil service in a memorandum of agreement to try the new hybrid process, but also the support from legislation in terms of actually having a cadet program.

We mirrored the cadet program on the success of the Boston Police Department. Mhmm. And with the initiation of it and the cooperation and partnerships across the board we found tremendous success with the cadet program. With the new hybrid process that was a challenge in and of itself but it's it really is an opportunity for us to kind of look at the amount of time that one might spend in Boston and understand Boston and have a cultural competency so we've mirrored the three years of a minimum residency in the city of Boston for the hybrid process. We're not the only municipality that's entered into a hybrid agreement.

We're one of maybe 26 or so within the state that have entered into the hybrid process. Oftentimes civil service will work with smaller agencies and these types of initiatives are a benefit to them. We found that it can be a benefit to us as well especially as it relates to our outreach. Our outreach doesn't stop with the hybrid process. We're able to do information sessions for our military candidates as well. Here and abroad, many information sessions so between the traditional process, cadets, and hybrid we're able to really do a lot of outreach and connect and have a good pipeline of qualified candidates come through each year.

Thank you. Either it was you or the commissioner who mentioned that we're the cadet program we're seeing a higher recruitment of women which has traditionally been a difficult recruitment area which I take as a really great sign of success if anybody could talk more about about that and about you know what we're learning in order to get even better recruitment?

Yeah. Well so we already know nationally this is a male dominated industry so we're not suggesting that we're ever gonna have alarming or great numbers of women but we know that there are great numbers of women that are well qualified to do this job. So it's just a matter of making sure that people have the information and the resources and the track. If we were solely rely if we had to solely rely on a traditional process we know that in the state again because the state is our applicant pool for the traditional process one in 26 veterans that are returning are women and so that could be

One in how many? 26. 26.

Okay. That's again for the state. Yeah. With traditional process and being a disabled veteran as well for our selection process that would be an even greater task in terms of reaching anybody that was a woman on a list for eligible candidates. So with the hybrid process and with cadets we're able to really concentrate on the city of Boston and that's gonna be more reflective of our applicant pool which you'll see again doesn't mean that we'll have a 100 women applying to be cadets, but if we have 10 women that are applying to be cadets, we know that out of that 10 we'll find well qualified candidates that are on track to eventually become firefighters.

Thank you. Thank you. I have a few more questions about contracted services, mental health, in house capacity I'm gonna go over. But I'll just say are we doing a better job of bringing in services that we would otherwise have to pay for like electricians, plumbers? I remember last year we were doing a better job so that I would so that we wouldn't have to contract those services. Are we doing a better job of bringing that in house?

Yes. We are still on track to try to bring in as many services within our department instead of using external sources. We have like our we call it our systems team which is our critical incident stress management teams. Those are all members within the department that will help firefighters in a situation where there's a complex incident where they might be having issues that they can talk to a member and these are all volunteer members of our department so that is an internal service that would probably be contracted out. So that's an example of one thing.

Thank you. I'll reserve my questions for second Thank

you very much. Councillor Murphy?

Thank you for your presentation and for the answers we've already received. Before I move, I do want to give a special shout out to Julie. Thank you for all you do. I know we've had a couple hearings, you know, about the grants, and you did a great job along with your team and Kevin explaining, you know, that critical funding that we need for the city to get what we need for our firefighters and our residents, and also thank Sam for being here and all you do for your members. Thank you for that.

I'm gonna focus on some of the knowing that the life expectancy of a firefighter is five years after they retire. It's always even though I know it's true, I always feel like I have to, like, check it because it just seems so unbelievable. But knowing it's true, I'm gonna focus my first round of questions kinda on some of those questions. But I do have in my second round some staffing and hiring for you. So don't don't feel like I'm not focusing on that.

The second round will be good questions on that. So the materials show that five hundred and eighty seven members were screened through skin cancer clinics. There were 94 referrals for further treatment, seven eleven comprehensive body scans. We had $100,000 which was reappointed for the firefighter cancer screening program. The department has seen a sixty three percent reduction in total injuries injuries through prevention programs and on duty recovery protocols.

We've also upgraded diesel exhaust systems in seven firehouses to the Magna Grip system and have dedicated more than 300,000 to HVAC repairs to prevent carcinogens from moving from the apparatus bays into the living quarters. There's also, and you touched on it, like the capital plan for continued upgrades to our firehouses or the need for just, you know, complete rebuilding. So just some questions on that. Are our current cancer screening funds enough to meet the needs, or should we create a permanent funding stream for firefighter screening in early detection? Detection.

How many firehouses do you do we know still need the MagnaGrip diesel exhaust system, HVAC upgrades, industrial cleaning, or other carcinogen reduction improvements? And I know I visited some firehouses and know what's needed, and I have said in the past, you know, even just the moving of where, like, the kitchens are or the firehouses, if you could also just touch on and explain, you know, for the public who are listening in, who I hope are supporting when we're trying to make sure we're full of fully funding the fire department. Explain why kitchen living spaces and ventilation and these upgrades are necessary for the health and safety of our firefighters.

Okay. Well, as deputy commissioner Coyne stated earlier, in terms of, engine eight, we'll we'll just focus on that one firehouse. The kitchen is on the Main Floor where the apparatus is. So when the apparatus actually pulls into quarters, there's a great chance of diesel exhaust being transmitted from the what we would call the hot zone to what should be called the cold zone. New fire houses are constructed suggested to be constructed in terms of zones.

So hot zone would be where we would have the apparatus, all our gear that has carcinogens within it and warm zone where would clean ourselves off and the cold zones is where we would live and eat. So in terms of Engine eight, that kitchen location is totally in the wrong spot. We've had over the years maybe four members come down with cancer in that house alone and they've all had the same type of cancer. So we're not sure again if it's directly associated with that kitchen being placed where it is. So again we have a study going forward right now that's I think seventy five percent complete in terms of trying to relocate the kitchen to the 2nd Floor and replace the roof on that house.

But the living quarters should definitely be separated from the hot zone where the apparatus and the gear is placed.

Yeah. I would think that should be an absolute priority to especially where you have the facts. And there I think there's a grant. Is it the AFG grant that we did not did we lose it? Did we get it in the past, but we're not having it, would assist the critical needs like equipment, protective gear, wellness programs. Are we losing that grant or did We we not receive

have had that grant since 2017. We did apply for it and we did not get it this year. And it does have some serious ramifications by us not getting that. The majority of that money has been used to fund the safety, health, and wellness division all of the screenings that you mentioned, skin cancer, employee mental health, body scans, all of those things, prevention specialist with the physical therapist and also nutritional needs will all go away by September.

So does that mean we just won't be providing that anymore? Or are we gonna find ways other ways to fund it? Or are we going to have to make sure before we approve this budget that we make sure that funding is put back in?

So we we are open to looking for ways to do that. We did, you know, submit something with our budget submission, the FY27 submission to offset some of those losses. We don't know where that stands.

What is the total amount of that grant?

$4,000,001.

I mean, BPS, I think, is asking for a $23,000,000 supplement. So much more than yeah. We can probably talk talk more. I don't wanna take up all my time, but that that's concerning, especially where I feel like we've gotten to a point in the city where we're taking what we should have always taken responsibility for the health and wellness of firefighters to to not be able to continue that.

And we do have deputy Shea and lieutenant Nie who could add more contacts to, you know, the good work that those the access to those funds has given the department. Okay.

I'll make sure on my second round. If they can come down more yeah. Might might buzz, but Is that that Thank you.

Thank you, counsel, for that question. I just wanna add on to what Kevin just told said. And when I tell people what I do, which is I'm in charge of safety, health, and wellness, and I and I explained to them one of the things that we we're providing for our firefight is is the body scans, skin cancer checks, mental health, access to mental health therapists. They say, well, don't you have don't can't your own insurance take care of that? Why is taxpayer funds paying for that?

But they don't understand that the state of insurance these days in the medical field, if you go to a doctor and you don't have some type of symptom, they will not send you to to get those body scans, then they're not gonna do it. So I just wanted to point that out that we're finding not only we're finding issues with our older firefighters, we're finding

With the younger.

The much younger we're finding these issues with much younger firefighters. So there is a need there.

Yes. I agree. Absolutely. So thank you.

Could I add one more thing? Sure. So one other question, and I just learned this recently, that the Boston fire department doesn't not maybe until recently, our mental health the needs of our members from to mental health, we don't have anything in the budget. And I've I've heard that the EMS and Boston police do. And I just found that amazing because as counsel Flynn said, we are the first people on on scene. And usually, it's things are at its worst. So we have that added stress along with with the disrupted sleep patterns can lead to to issues with firefighters mental health. So I'd like you to keep that in mind as well.

That was one of the big wins, I would say, in the police contract this past one was that the union really made sure that the mental health and wellness was part of the package for our police members. Thank you for that.

Okay. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Thank you very much. Councillor Braden.

Mister chair, good morning. Good morning. I just also would like to welcome commissioner fire commissioner Marshall. It was so nice to be at your swearing in ceremony and celebrate the wonderful joy of your family. Thank you.

It it was very very impressive and a a historic day in Boston to have you rise to this position, and I I look forward to working with you going forward. I I had a few questions. There's I I know we've talked about this before. The increased number of electric vehicles on the roads in our in our tunnels, in our parking garages, I'm wondering, have we seen an uptick in the demand for response to EV fires in cars, electric vehicles?

We haven't actually seen an uptick in response to those to those events. Right now, they are still far and few in between in in in the total number of things. But the problem with those those type of fires is that they're extremely hard to extinguish because of the location of the batteries. They were encased and they were closed. So our training academy just actually came up with a proprietary tool to help with the extinguishment of these EV fires. But in terms of like I said total terms of fire cop fires we haven't seen an uptick.

Okay. I'm just looking at the capital budget. The fire department spent only 66% of the financial year '26 capital budget and only 40% of allocation in financial year '25. The financial the capital plan for twenty seven through '31 has increased by 16%, but it seems like the fire department has not been able to spend prior allocations. I'm just wondering, are we what is the issue with the understanding year over year?

Is it procurement delays, staffing, project management, or something else? Like, we really recognize the need for upgrades in our facilities, building new facilities. We seem to be putting it into the budget, but it doesn't seem to be getting spent. Is there something we need to know about that and something we need to change?

Yes, thank you, Consular. Most of that is a direct result of some capital projects that were delayed on the city side. They had some stalled capital programs. A number of them have just, you know, ticked up just recently, but for the past couple of years, most of them have been on a very slow process. You know, we're we're totally on board and willing to, you know, advocate for the expansion of these projects and get them moving as quickly as possible.

And these are things that, you know, we're you know, we submit the request and these projects themselves are really being managed through the public facilities department. So what that involves is they need to assign, you know, project managers and, you know, architects, engineers, and and get all of those things going. But we have been advocating for the expansion of these. And even some of the smaller ones that we had asked to take control over with HVAC and roofing projects, we felt like we could manage some of those on our own. And we're still working with the budget office and public facilities to see if they will give us some of that ability to use those funds to do our own roofs and fix our own HVAC systems and not have to go through the public facilities department process, if at all possible, to

Time speed up is money. The longer we wait, the more expensive it gets.

The longer you wait, the more it costs.

I had another question. Know we've talked Chief Ellis and I have had discussions about just thinking about Alston Brighton, because you're a local guy from Alston Brighton. I'm just thinking over many years ago, just thinking all of the expansion North Of The Pike. It seems to have stalled right now, but it will continue. The need for thinking about how do we are we working with the Alston Brighton community plan to think about spaces and places where we could put a new firehouse in North Of The Pike in the future?

Like, it's not gonna happen immediately, but are are we putting that sort of marker down on the on the board to say as we build out, like the population is now 87,000 and that whole area North Of The Pike will continue to grow in terms of commercial and residential. Just thinking are working with the planning department to think about designating zoning for a new firehouse North Of The Pike?

Councillor, as you know, I' been in these meetings with the bpda and I' been advocating we should bring engine 34 back when the time comes. The Beacon Part Rail Yards is all vacant land now they' taking the tracks out and a lot of spots and they' going move the Pike over the whole area will be developed So we've been pushing. Yeah, we'd like to see an engine company at least. And I've suggested an engine slash hazmat house, for that area. But it's just suggestions at that time.

We don't have, you know, control over that land ourselves. Harvard needs to be involved in the thing and that that comes to, you as our legislative, representatives to put the, the power the pressure onto Harvard to work with us. You know, they own the land. They're the ones ultimately going to be developing the land. All we can do is go to these meetings and say, yeah, we'd like a firehouse or a fire department presence here.

It all comes down to response times. The ISO, the insurance agency, gives us a number and your insurance rates are based on how fast we can get to you. Okay? So if all our responses are coming from Union Square going down to where, like, the Doubletree is, we're going to be delayed because as they build the roads and the infrastructure and put more and more people in that area, it's going to delay our response. We really need a presence down in the Old Austin neighborhood.

Yeah. Engine thirty four historically, is that the one that used to be on

Westin Yes. The Fios is still there. I think Artis are in there now, but, on Westin Ave. I'm not saying we would go that exact spot. We'd be better off further down by the business school, or with Doubletree, where they've dealt that area in the Houghton Chemical area. Fiels would be great right there. We'd have access to the interchange down Sterold Drive to get to the Back Bay. We'd have the pipe to get downtown to 93. It'd be a perfect spot for like an engine company with a hazmat contingent connected to it.

Thank you. We'll continue the conversation. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Okay. Thank you. We've been joined by Councillor Culpepper. Councillor Fitzgerald, you're next.

Thank you very much, Chair. And Commissioner Marshall, me be also continuing and congratulating you. And that was a great event the other day.

Thank you.

And I look forward to working with you as well. I've started off every one of these budget hearings with every sort of asking the same questions, so I'll I'll be consistent here in just saying everyone's kinda taken a haircut this year. How much of that haircut for you guys? And where where are you feeling the pain? And sort of how have you sort of adapted to try and cover for any of those cuts? How confident do we feel that we'll be able to cover?

Well as Chief Shea just stated, that haircut is mostly concentrated on our safety, health and wellness division. Yep. And we're just trying to come up with a creative way to try to cover those losses in those funds from those grants. Okay.

I noticed that in the six state grants that we have, there's an expiration date of June 30 that we need to exhaust those funds by. Is there anything do we feel confident we're going to do that by the end of this fiscal year? And for the eight federal grants, are there any similar contingencies on exhausting the funds by, or a date?

With the state grants, we don't have much flexibility in being able to extend those at all. The state brings on its own set of challenges where the state will, you know, vote for these things and, you know, they become effective in July 1. Many times, at least for the past two years, we don't get the documents from the state until December, which means that only gives us six months to be able to spend that money. In terms of some of the things that we would need to spend that money on, the procurement challenges about getting something in six months is extremely difficult. We don't wanna give the money back, but we're also being, you know, cautious in not spending, you know, we're not gonna spend it if we don't have it.

But I think we're in a better position for the state grants this year. The federal grants, there's more flexibility, but there's been challenges with the federal government's change FEMA being closed, and other, you know, political issues totally beyond the control of what what I can do within the department. But there is some flexibility where we can apply for an extension on some of these. But when we have done that, it's the delays in getting a response back from, you know, FEMA or any of the federal agencies is is very delayed. You know, we've had a couple of successes with them in in making minor adjustments to the grants themselves, but nothing really that comprehensive.

Understood. Thank you. So, the funding won't be coming to our recruitment, correct, Mr. Gasmus? We feel pretty good around the funding in terms of both our hybrid cadet and traditional?

Only the timing of a class. That would have a direct impact on our cadets in particular and a ripple effect. But those are things I think we can sort out determining. We are budgeted for a twenty twenty fiscal year 2027 class and so just the timing of that in terms of when we're able to administer that class is something that we would be concerned about now. But we've had 100% support for the cadets in terms of funding for the cadet program.

And again, the hybrid, there's no funding or line item for that. It's part of our fiftyfifty 150% is traditional. The other half is a combination of hybrid and cadets.

Okay. So that thank you for that, because that was going to lead me to my next question about the total cost of cadet versus hybrid. Was thank you, because I was going ask what the difference was for my own education. But now that you've explained that, the cost so one is at no cost, and one has a cost I know there's I heard you say the $32,000 right, per cadet. But in total even, I mean, facilities, operations, equipment, any of that for the cadet program, do we have an entire number of what that might be?

In terms of what we've received from the budget office, looks like about a 1,100,000 $1,180,000 reduction in non personnel accounts.

Okay. And that covers everything that has to do with the cadet And the hybrid is just a formula?

That's built into the personnel costs.

Understood. Okay. A couple of things on the capital side. I know at Ashmont on Dot Ave, that's another troubled firehouse in terms of when you were talking about in East Boston and things of the like. I know it's not next on the capital agenda, but I believe it is, in the queue, to be redone, and there was a land that was purchased behind it, and we'll hopefully see some I just didn't know if anyone had an update as to a potential, shovel in the ground for anything like that for for the Ashmore firehouse.

The transfer of the deed for the land that you're speaking of behind the Engine 17 18 Yep. Has been completed. It did not make it on the docket for the capital plan for next year. I suspect it will make it into next year's, the planning stages. But the initial planning stages, in general, take about three years for, you know, design and, you know, kind of discovery of that?

Yep. That timeline sounds right. But that sounds good. Hope it continues on that timeline then. Question around the Marine units. What do the new boats and equipment allow us to do better now than the previous that we had? When we said we have updated state of the art, what is it that our members would be able to do that they say, hey, this made this made the job and life and and and the delivery of the services a lot better than what we had before? What are the any specific examples there?

Well, counsel. I gotcha. Counselor, the the state of the art allows our members to work more efficiently when they respond out. We got these they they they're, like, turbojet engines now. Supposedly, I'm not a maritime guy myself, but they're more reliable. We're able to put members that have maritime experience on there. They'll be able to respond and work more efficiently once they get to the scene. We have three, main boats down there right now. The new boat coming in, I won't announce its name, but Marine One, we'll call it right now, has total harbor. But some of the areas of harbor have lower tides, so we send out the Leahy for that.

And then we have a third boat that's dedicated just for our scuba divers, all right, the John Kenny. All right? So if there's an incident where we're putting members in the water to dive, they're going to use this boat designed specifically by them for them, all right, before we would piecemeal a boat together or whatever the old dive boat doesn't have any of the capabilities of this dive boat. We're just more efficient with the investment the city made in our marine unit.

That's awesome. And the new boat, not the USS Fitzgerald to It's not

the Fitzgerald, but it's not my place to announce its name, Councilor It's

nice have a chance. Thank you, guys. My time is up. I appreciate it. Thank you very much. Thank you, chief.

Okay. Thank you. Councilor Culpepper.

Thank you, mister chair. And good to see you, mister Marshall. I missed that swearing in, but, I was at the announcement. I, hated to miss it, but I just, ruptured a disc in my back. And, I couldn't move.

And when I think about the firefighters and all the work that you do, and the number of discs that are ruptured and fighting fires really have to compliment the fire department on how you have kept the city safe with regard to fires. I watch those fires and I watch how the men react as first responders, not thinking about their lives, thinking about saving lives. So we really commend the work that you do. It's really amazing that we can sit with you this morning. And I'm going to, you know, question it.

You know, I can be tough sometimes. But I first wanted to just commend you and all the work that you do. What would we do without firefighters? And so thank you for all that all of you do. Now to the tough part, and I'm only kidding. I've heard a lot of talk about these grants. And for the state grants, what are they? The six state grants. And how close are we to sending money back to the state?

Council, I'm gonna have Sure. Who's the procurement grants manager for the Boston Fire Department speak to that. She's in the weeds with grants.

Okay. I just want to dig

a little

deeper into

Do a much better job

than that.

Okay. Okay.

I'm my computer is sleeping. I should be able to do it from my head. So the six state grants that the department currently has is an earmark for the training academy. It funds all of the the needs and wants of our facility in Moon Island. That's where all of our training occurs.

That is $1,700,000 that we receive. We did see a year, I believe it was fiscal year twenty three, where those funds dropped down to a half $1,000,000. There seems to be some news articles indicating that we will be given the 1.7 in fiscal year twenty seven. But like Kevin had mentioned earlier, sometimes with the state legislation, we're we're fearful of nine c cuts that may occur. And when we don't get the contract until December, we try to be as fiscally responsible and not heavily procure, assuming that that money will be coming to the department.

Because if you spend grant funds that have not been awarded or accepted by the council, it becomes the responsibility of the department.

And so with regard to that December, is there anything that we can do to help you get the information earlier so you have more time to prepare for it? I mean, what can the council do? I mean, we could do a resolution, a hearing order, but I mean

I think it's it it hinges on the state and and their process with executing their budget. So oftentimes, we're we're in conversation with them. I tend to send them emails on a daily, weekly basis just to say, where are we? Do we have a a dollar value? But sometimes they can't give give us that information if there's gonna be a nine c reduction. So we do the best that we can. We are not looking at returning any of our state grants. I'm sure to be diligent in making sure that that money gets spent accordingly.

So if that's the case, let's go to the federal grants. If you don't think any of the money has to go back to

the

state, let's look at the federal grants.

Okay.

And let's just look at the ones that you might be in trouble with in terms of the money going back.

So I don't think we have an issue of money going back. It's more that majority of the grants that the fire department receives are competitive in nature. So I I previously worked for the Boston Police Department. They have a decent amount of formula grants. So their crime crime ratings are contingent, you know, population based.

One of the grants that we do receive through the police department is our PSAP grant. So that's the public safety answering point, the CAD system response. We do receive funds from Boston Police through EOPs for that money. That is a state grant. But with our grants, the majority of our federal funding has come from assistance for firefighter grants. It's competitive in nature. Over the past three years, we've received about $1,400,000 under those awards. We put in an application for their fiscal year twenty four funding. It was due on 12/20/2025. We did not receive an award.

Also, like Kevin had said earlier, we're dealing with FEMA being part of a freeze or a pause. So even with inquiries relative to to the current grants that we have, there's oftentimes not staff available at the federal federal government to correspond with us to discuss some of the changes we may like to see. I have a a co programmatic staff member and she and I work with a grant writer And we meet with the departments that receive federal funding on a pretty constant basis to make sure they're aware of what funding they have, how it can be spent, and how they're doing on their spending. But I think the issue at hand is that with the federal lapse, we're seeing that solicitations for these assisted for firefighter grants as well as we also receive grants under fire prevention and safety as another FEMA program. And we've been steadily increasing our award amount.

I think we received a $106,000. Like Kevin said, that funded hot work. So we have just recently implemented with NFPA the ability for all of our members to get a hot work certificate. So if somebody does work within the city dealing with welding, they're required to have a 51 b license. This institution under these grant funds will allow all of our members who are overseeing hot work permits be certified or have the license that we require the contractors to do that work.

So I I think there's just a lot of uncertainty with the federal government grants. We applied for a grant for first responders to educate community members, lieutenant Nie, on Narcan responses. So I know councilor Flynn asked about Narcan or overdose responses. The EAP program was going out and after an overdose occurs, it gets coded into the system. And the EAP program was following up at that home or location where the overdose had occurred and connecting those people with potential resources that they may need for recovery and that grant would have funded this.

The we got a notice that, you know, we got our score for the grant and then the federal government issued a notice on their website that they were not giving out any awards relative to that grant. So we're just seeing a lot of federal uncertainty. We do intend to apply for AFG funding if it is released, but generally the solicitations or the notice of funding opportunity for AFG is released in about April. So if they're not released this May before the fiscal the federal fiscal year, we may not be likely to recover or apply for an additional 1,400,000 which would support potentially cancer screening, dermatology testing, training of our senior officers, our clinical director who is the nutritionist and our injury prevention specialist. So those are some of the important things that have been funded under those grants in the past.

Mr. Chairman, I have additional questions but I'll save them until the second round.

Okay. Thank you very much.

With all respect to Councillor Flynn. Okay.

Well,

thank thank you councilor Culpepper. So I I I have a couple questions from the chair and then we'll go to a a second act. There's nobody signed up. Okay. Unless we if there's folks who sign up for public testimony, we'll hear from them. But right now, there's no one signed up. So I have a couple questions, and we'll go to a second round to my colleagues. I guess, Mr. Gaskins, can so in terms of using residency in Boston as a tool to increase diversity in our hiring, can you just explain what the mechanism is there? Do you get extra points?

Because I think when we had Commissioner Burke before us, he said he supported hybrid pathways. Okay. We do have one public testimony. Hybrid pathways to increase diversity, but he's sort of hands were tied in diversity hiring because of the way, you know, disabled veterans status played a role. So I don't know. Can you just explain how you're using residency

to Yeah well with residency thank you chair. With residency right now if we just relied on the traditional civil service process, if I'm a person that's serving in the military I'm from Marblehead, never come to Boston outside of the Red Sox game, upon separation, I have ninety days from separation to become a Boston resident. I can score a 70 on that particular test. A civilian that's a Boston resident can take that same test and score a 100, but that and someone that's born and raised in Dorchester, that same candidate from Marblehead would get would be ranked higher and would get the get the get the job over the resident. So if we're relying solely on the traditional process, the majority candidates over the past ten years aren't originally Boston residents through that process.

So there is a pipeline of candidates in the state of Massachusetts that make their way to Boston. And in some cases they could be from California or Oklahoma having moved here one year prior to taking a test. And so again really looking at the three years of residency as a bar not necessarily a barrier because we know people that are immigrating to to Boston or to to The US or even my myself as an example coming from the West Coast. As long as I'm investing enough time in the city to get a better understanding of what the city is, that cultural competency we feel like that gives our Boston residents a good opportunity to apply to the position.

So if you have three years in the city you get put at the top of the list or is

that No it's just so the hybrid process is more closely related to an interview process. So what we're able to vet candidates through a physical fitness assessment which is our FARA or our firefighter applicant readiness assessment. We do require them to have passed the civil service test and then we look at their resume transferable skills. We look at their community service and and and again what they've been doing in their communities and then we're able to interview candidates that way. And so it's more closely related to a traditional interview process where we can assess a candidate's complete profile to make those decisions.

But at the core, the three years, the majority of our candidates have more than three years. While we didn't wanna take away from say someone that again, if I'm using myself as an example, I'm from Las Vegas. I came here to go to school. Once I graduated, I decided to stay. So now I've been here for four years. Maybe I've registered to vote. Maybe I've been involved in the community. Now I'm an eligible candidate to in order to apply to to the position.

Okay. And then I guess, you know, in terms of making sure once once you get hired, how you move up the chain, you know, I think we've in cases I litigated against the city of Boston, you know, in the police department, people weren't moving up. I think you know what are we doing to make sure that those once hired you know people can advance in the Yeah

once hired the promotional exam process they're still in the civil service so there's a process through there. I I will say that if I think veterans have a distinct advantage throughout their their tenure up to twenty five years where they're at a distinct advantage over someone that's a non veteran. There are different models in the nation that I think might be more beneficial and equitable. New York as an example if I'm entering into New York civil service process I can use my preference either at the beginning of my tenure getting into an academy class or during one promotional exam. After that it's all it's all the same playing field.

Whereas Boston if I'm a veteran I I have points right off the bat throughout my tenure until twenty five years. So I always commend civilian employee or civilians that don't have any veteran preference when they do move up the ranks like commissioner. They're competing and they're really at a 2.4 disadvantage. And those two points mean a whole They can they can make the difference between getting an opportunity or not. So civil service process right now is as as it's established. I think what I hear from the ranks that it's a fair process but I will say that the two points that a veteran might get if we start again I'm not a firefighter.

And these are written tests? These are written tests. Well I guess the question is like how does a written test measure like someone's ability to like lead people and

Yep. So I would say I like Julie, Miss Devin, we come from BPD where we've had a great experience and actually Miss Devin helped me tremendously through the Boston Police Department's promotional exam process. The changes that one might make in a process really has to come from a job analysis and make a determination as to whether or the components of the exam can in fact assess candidates. If we're using the hybrid model as far as our recruiting process goes I think using these assessment tools like career readiness to determine whether or not someone is strong enough to do the job and capable to do that and then using a traditional interview process that consists of firefighters that are at on the committee that are actually making

I hear I'm just I'm sorry to cut you off my time is about to end and I just I had one question in terms of the it's the miscellaneous supplies materials line item it's about like 3,500,000 historically the fire department hasn't spent about 900,000 of that money every year I'm just wondering what that gets used for and why I think similar to Councillor Braden's question on the capital budget, we don't spend the full amount

It's similar to the problem that we have. It's a procurement issue where the city will issue a memo every year that all spending for goods needs to be completed by April 15. I was the purchasing agent for the city of Boston and was never an advocate of the timing of that memo because I do feel it restricts the ability of departments to be able to spend accordingly. So, you know, already we're out of supplies now, you know, one month into the deadline, which was, I think, was April 12. So we can't the city restricts us from spending that money.

We would spend probably every penny of that if we had been given a longer window to be able to do that. Now with service procurements, we have until, I think, June 12 to edit. And it's just it's very difficult. And and I see it now from, you know, both sides of the street, from the, you know, city hall side, and I also see it from, you know, the restrictions it puts on a department like the fire department who has consistently, you know, gone through level funding and to a certain extent some budget cuts over many years.

Okay. Thank you very much. I'm gonna go to Oh, sorry. We do have public testimony. Yeah. Oh, sorry. Councillor Durkin, you did make it here. So the one person signed up for public testimony will have to have to wait another seven minutes. Councilor Durkin, first round of questions.

Thank you so much, chair. And I just wanna thank the hardworking men of the fire department and women. It's incredible that, we have a new commissioner, know, and, it's also incredible that we've gotten to a place in our budget where we're before you again. So last year, I asked a question about fire inspectors. I heard from one of the department's ISD that a a big issue in my district is the time it takes a business to get permitted.

And so I just wanted to ask the same question, with the new information that there are more fire inspectors. So I just wanted to ask the question of how many fire inspectors are there? Do you feel like, it's making a difference?

We got about 50 inspectors up there, assigned to fire prevention that go out on a daily basis, doing compliance and acceptance testing across the board, working with ISD, with the certificate of occupancy, issuing and whatnot.

Thank you. Yeah. A big issue in my district is just I mean, we have a lot of commercial corridors, like, specifically, I have one street that has over 400 small businesses. So oftentimes, there's changeover, and it's important that our, you know, the core of our city and our retail spaces are filled. So I'm grateful to the fire department for all of the coordination that's happening, and I know that. I I sense that there's been improvements.

Well, we we worked with, under the mayor's initiative. She, assigned what was Kristen Shelley? She assigned, like, the permit czar. And we we tried to streamline anything on our end of it, and she was working, you know, across the board with ISD and whatnot. But we tried to streamline our application process to make it easier. So if you come in and off the street, you're not, like, dumbfounded when you come to the desk. You know, we're trying to put the information out there to the public to let them know what you got because that's 90% of the time. And, you know, deputy Shay behind me was also a former, marshal. We're not holding people up needlessly, but people when they come in, need to bring code compliant plans. If they don't bring us code compliant plans, we can't just sign off on something.

It's really the education the people what they need to bring in to us so we can review their plans on a timely manner, send an inspector out that it was built according to the plans, and then sign off so the building is safe. Our mission, make sure people are living and working in safe environments and buildings.

Absolutely. One of the most important missions of the city. So thank you for all of your work. I I am supportive of this budget. I do I noticed that the increase in personnel services, those are ones that we all voted on through the collective bargaining process. So I'm I was supportive of that contract and continue to be supportive of the hardworking people that work for the fire department. So thank you for all of your work. And I'll I'll yield my time back, chair.

Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. So that wraps up our first round. We're going to our public testimony. We've got a a Sam Dillon. Please introduce yourself to the council. You got two minutes.

Thank you, chair. Good morning. Sam Dillon, president of Boston firefighters local seven eighteen. Thank you to members of our command staff for appearing here today for this committee and to the councilors who are present today for getting together. Budget season is never easy. This is a I believe the fourth iteration of this since I became president. You have every agency, every department, every union within the city coming in advocating for their asks, what they need to see out of this body and out of this city for the coming fiscal year. We all read the paper. Everyone's paying attention. We understand this upcoming FY and this current budget season, the the hard reality of that is it's it's difficult.

It's not looking good for the city or for these departments coming in. So local seven eighteen understands the position that this elected body is in. That being said, just listening to some of the presentation and the testimony that just took place, I do wanna focus in on public safety and particularly firefighters because that's who I represent. The single most important piece of equipment, if you will, out there in the city is a Boston firefighter, is a fire officer. The members that I represent are the ones from our division and district commanders to our company officers to our firefighters on the apparatus, on the fire truck responding to these 911 calls, putting their health and their life on the line for this city.

One thing that's really jumped out to me over the past half an hour testimony, that 1.4 I believe it was 1.4, 1,500,000 for the wellness initiative. You heard some of the testimony from my brother coming out of safety, health, and wellness. Those early detection cancer screenings, that early intervention intervention for firefighter and fire officer health, you can't put a price tag on that. Now if you had to, you're gonna see it's a lot less than 1,400,000. Early detection, early intervention, preventative maintenance saves this city millions of dollars a year.

One step further, that program and those initiatives have directly saved the lives of our firefighters. You saw the statistics of how many of our members went through that screening and how many needed follow on care. Those screenings directly caught several cancers that otherwise would not have been detected. Like my brother mentioned, trying to go if you're a firefighter trying to go through your insurance to get these things done, they're not going to do it because you don't have any of the symptoms that they would use to justify these screenings. Well, in our world, being a firefighter is the symptom.

The things that our members are exposed to, that is the symptom of one of the most dangerous, if not deadliest professions in the city. I cannot reiterate enough to this body. I understand it's a difficult f y. I understand the budget's tight this year. $1.41500000 in a supplemental to ensure we're doing everything we can to protect the men and women who put their lives on the line every day. I think it needs to be done. And local seven eighteen is willing to work with this body and with our department to try and get that done. Thank you for your time.

Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. No one online? Okay. So we're gonna go for a second round. We'll we'll do six minutes per per councilor.

Councilor Flynn, you're up. Thank you, mister chair. And I listen closely to president Dillon's comments on how important health and wellness are to the Boston fire department and the families of Boston firefighters as well. We're not talking about a lot of money here, $1.41500000 dollars for health and wellness, early detection screening. As the press as the president mentioned, some of those screenings detected firefighters that had melanoma had probably had skin cancer, probably saved saved their life.

As many of you know, I go I attend the local 7 a dime retirement banquet every year. I don't I don't miss it. I love going to it. And I talk to the firefighters and I talk to their families and they love the job. But they would always say to me, hey, Ed, you know, we love being a firefighter.

We love being we love the job. The problem, Ed, as you know, is the average firefighter lives five or six years following retirement. And so I'm I'm I'm sitting listening to these listening to these comments from firefighters and their families knowing that after this banquet, they just retired, they're probably only gonna live five or six years. And I've been to probably been to eight of them already. And and a good portion of the people that I had met at the banquet are probably a lot of them are probably deceased.

But what what's what the president just advocated for is something I I strongly support, a supplemental that would provide added funding that was that was previously cut or potentially cut so that we're able to do this early detection for so we're able to do health and wellness. We have to ask ourself on the Boston City Council, is this a priority? Is this important? Is this the is this one of the most important decisions we could make all year? For me, the answer is clear.

Yes. Yes, it is important. Yes, it's one of the most important decisions we make all year. $1,400,000, $1,500,000 for a supplemental, is is that worth it? Of course, it's worth it.

It's worth it if it's one life saved. How would how could we go to a firefighter's retirement? How could we go to a promotional ceremony next year after after saying, no, we don't think a supplemental is warranted? How could we go to a graduation ceremony? All of us, all city officials, and say, you know, we're here to celebrate you, but by the way, we we didn't have enough money for you in the in the supplemental.

Health and wellness wasn't important. We can't have it both ways. We we, the support the fire department. We support the men and women of the fire department. We support the families or we don't.

But I I think we have maybe it's a moral obligation this body has to look for this budget and see if there's more money in there or more money in in city finances. Are we doing it with the Boston Public School System, the supplemental? I think we are going to do it. Should the should we do it for the Boston Public School System? Yes. We should do it for the Boston Public School System. Should we do a supplemental for the Boston Fire Department? Definitely. Commissioner, I know you've only been on the job for a week. Do you support a supplemental?

Anything that saves a life, as you said, I'm I'm all in favor of.

So the next the next ask the next question to any of the four gentlemen here, how do we get it done? What's the logistics of getting it before the mayor, getting it before the city council, getting it before this body? How do we get that done?

I'm not really sure of the politics of it all, councilor, but you know, I know from the people that I work with on a daily basis, we'll do whatever we can to support What I don't understand with the supplemental is I would not want to have that supplemental budget taken from the existing funds that have already been allocated. We had an example of that last year, and it's very difficult to do that. Not sustainable for the department going forward to, year after year, have these ongoing cuts, and then to have that, you know, while we were grateful for that additional money that we received last year, it was taken from our facilities department and put into the safety, health, and wellness, which did tremendous you know, it was a tremendous benefit for the department. If you talk about a supplemental, it will be handled in the same way. I would say we can't sustain that.

Yeah, that's a good point, Kevin. Thank you. And I agree with you. Should not make any cuts or take it from one part of the fire department to another part of the fire department. I also know well, I'll leave that for another I'll leave it that for another another time.

But I just don't want us to balance the budget on the backs of the health and wellness of of Boston firefighters and their families. We need to do better. We need to come up with the money. And we can't sit here and say thank you to the firemen and firefighters and their families, and then by the way, not not provide the needed money for health and wellness. Just my opinion, that's what I believe in. Thank you, Chew.

Okay. Thank you very much. Just in terms of our discussion, want to make sure we're comparing apples to apples in terms of I think no no no no I I'm just saying in terms of a supplemental versus an amendment so a supplemental would be for the fiscal year twenty six budget to fill a gap whereas where we're talking we have the power under the city charter to amend the budget to move money into certain line items. A supplemental would be to add money to the budget from some other source. You know that's just in terms of all my colleagues, there's amendment supplementals, you know, that in terms of supplementing the budget that would be later on to take it from reserves or we can have that conversation later.

But usually we're talking about amendments and like you said, know, moving it from one place has impacts on that department. Anyway, okay. BPS is asking for a supplemental to cover their deficit in the fiscal year twenty six budget, which No, no. Yeah, that's I don't know if BPS is asking for that. That is what BTU is asking for. Okay. Thank you.

You, Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the Boston Fire Department for being here for answering the questions. I have a few pretty granular ones. A lot of my some of my other questions have been covered. In the RFI responses, it states that the contractor diversity is limited in some areas because of proprietary Motorola based systems and certification requirements, particularly in the radio shop. Can you explain and talk about that more what are the limitations around contractual diversity in the radio shop and are these limitations ran into vendor specifications required by the technology itself or driven by the available pool of certified contractors?

I think it directly relates, counselor, to the proprietary nature of the radio system. Motorola is probably the leader in the world in terms of communication. It would be similar to if I had to relate it to, like, Apple iPhones. You know, there's really only one game in town that deals with that. So Motorola controls, you know, the the sale of their radios, the installation and ongoing service and maintenance of those. Not just, for Boston Fire. I believe it's every agency all over the city and at least in The United States.

And there are limited contractors. I guess there are a limited number of vendors who are able to deal with those issues, limits our ability to put on diversity procurement requirements?

So I think for the most part they do limit the number of contractors that they will allow to work on their equipment. I don't know and we can look to see if we can find some of that information for you in terms of diversity of some of their contracted vendors. That's not something that we have any exposure to or Okay. Involvement with whatsoever. I will just say Motorola is just a beast of a company.

Yeah. Okay. And we deal with them almost exclusively in the in the radio shop? Yes. Okay.

Another cost savings that we were able to identify in this budget was the department reports that the training division, so your shop designed and manufactured a proprietary EV fire nozzle in house and that saved more than $100,000 and the academy already performs most of its improvements in labor with BPD staff, BFD staff rather than outside are there any other specialized tools, modifications, training props, vehicle adaptations, or response equipment that BFD could develop or maintain in house rather than purchasing externally? It's similar to like the contracting the individuals externally bring them in house. Are there are there is there equipment that we can be sort of working on and building in house rather than contracting for those outside?

Well to speak on your the EV nozzle. So they sell them for like 3,003 thousand $500 each. So, under Deputy Malone's leadership down there, John McDonald, the district chief, they came up with the M and M nozzle, all right? It was they designed it and

Chief Ellis, and that's the stall nozzle, the

EV Yes, one, Yes, Thank you. And they were able to go from $3,500 down to about $303.50 dollars per nozzle. So there's 33 engines out across the city. So savings of about $3,000 each engine, that's where we come up with 100,000

That's pretty excellent that we were able

to Yeah, was great.

Kudos to them.

You know, Deputy Malone and John McDonald came at the It M and As M and and was far as other pieces of equipment, I mean, we're always adapting. We all I mean, you go out to any one of the firehouses, the members of our department are always like coming up with new ideas, doing things on their own, whether it's their own door chalk or a better way to do things. Just like teachers who bring supplies into the firehouse, firefighters are always bringing their own things that make them more efficient out on the fire scene. We have a great department, great membership. I can't single out another thing like the M and M nozzle recently that we've come up with. But, you know, when the time comes, you know, we try to come up with things like that.

Awesome. Well, I just want to support and thank the folks on the leaders in the department who were able to realize that and accomplish it. I think that's great. I think, you know, it's that's a level of innovation and creativity that we need to be thinking about in this department, around the city, because I think it's going to be it's investments long term in the city.

You really should come down the island, too, when you get a chance, Counsel of

the I've been once, but I haven't been. I would love to come back.

I know we had open house there recently, but even just on a regular training day, they went the island rocks. We got the new trains there that we're going to be doing MBTA training on there. We have the smokehouse, but we're constantly putting our companies back to basics, first water truck company operations, training firefighters from regional area on top of our own cadet training. The island's really a busy place. Really, if you have a chance, any one of you have a chance to come down, you should.

Well, Chief Ellis, Commissioner, I'd love an invitation back, and I'd love There to come was a recent article about a demonstration that was done and just like setting fires intentionally just to see to do the work of teaching those in the academy. And I think it's just the work you do is so incredibly important for prevention again. I had asked this question in the beginning and I believe it was Officer Gaskins who answered, but you know in this in this budget on the personnel item and the budget overall we're seeing an increase most of it attributed to personnel and you stated that the the biggest driver of the increase in the personnel line item is the collective bargaining agreement Is there anything else that's driving that the increase in the overall budget to the fire department that we're seeing?

No. Everything is in the increase in the personnel line is directly related to increase in collecting bargaining agreement.

Okay. So it's one it's a 100% the collective Okay. Bargaining Thank you. And I did wanna ask a question about the pipeline that we're seeing between Teen Academy, the cadet program, and eventually to our fire department. Officer Gaston, if could talk a little bit about Teen Academy, where that stands, how that's going.

Yeah. So the Teen Academy is a partnership with the city of Boston. It's our summer success link program. We've been doing that since 2017 and it's been supported each year. We're actually gonna be making selections for our summer teens probably later on this week.

Typically, we're given around 35 to 45 teens to to provide six weeks of employment to. And so we're able to partner with the city in that and we do think of the Teen Academy as our pipeline one of our pipelines we work directly with a lot of schools in the area high schools in particular English High and East Boston high they have legal and protective studies curriculum and so we're able to sit on the boards for those departments and make sure that the teens are aware of the teen academy programs going on for both BPD and BFD. Our program happens to be the best in the city, very competitive, but what that does is introduces young people to fire services. We go out to Moon Island. We we do a number of activities, go to different fire houses.

We also bring in professionals from other industries to give teens a a perspective of the different types of opportunities that are out there for professional development. In short, we we do have a number of teen academy folks that are now firefighters. So from our alpha class, I wanna say there was three former teen academy applicants or participants that are now firefighters and each year if you're a Teen Academy participant and you apply to be a cadet, you're guaranteed an interview. Doesn't guarantee you the spot but it guarantees you an interview and so we do see that as a as a great feeder for our program.

Thank you thank you mister chair and thank you for the all of the work that you all do. Really appreciate it.

Thank very much. Councillor Murphy?

So in my first round I did focus on the health and welfare and the cancer screenings and I know president Dillon spoke about it and others have also talked about it, so I just wanna touch on that a little bit more before I move on. And as you may know, but if those listening in, this is our fifth year with the amendment power, I guess, you could say. I don't know if it's a positive power, but we get the budget from the mayor. We can vote yes as is and just pass it. We can vote no and have her go back and work on it.

And or we can propose amendments, but as you know, the amendments then have to be cutting from somewhere else. And I know I have recently put out a statement about devastating $724,000 14% cut to the veterans, and that, yes, I do want it restored, but in no way do I want it to be restored on the backs of, say, the fire department. And and so I'm saying, and, again, for the 1.2 or 3,000,000 that would be needed to make sure that our firefighters have the screening and medical support they need, that it would be that the mayor would go back and find the money other places, because there are ways to do that. There's the rainy day fund. There's reserves.

There's other available ways. It's not only the amendment process we have to kinda push back and say this is important to us. And we do know, my fifth year doing the budget, the first four years with all of the hundreds of millions of dollars with opera funds and ESSER funding for our school, you know, we were able to add programming. We it was there were no cuts. And now we're in this no fluff, nuts and bolts, you know, bare minimum.

And to me, in a tight budget cycle, I can't think of anything more nuts and bolts, anything more basic than making sure any city employee, not just the fire department. And I know we have fought and we're adding, you know, we're making sure that the medical cost for, you know, weight loss is not being cut. Right? So that matters to many people across other city departments. To me, I mean, my dad died of melanoma from cancer.

I know that screening does matter, and you need to get quickly. And the facts and the data are there that our city employees, our firefighters, our neighbors, our family members are putting their life at risk, so we should never be scrimping on their health care. So I will advocate that it won't go through an amendment process, but that we will ask for the mayor to find the money somehow. Because like you mentioned, Kevin, and if you could speak a little bit more to that, because I know it's true in the school department where I worked for over twenty years. You have to spend the money by a certain date, but teachers right now at schools across the city are bringing in their own reams of paper, not just the extras that I know we've always done as teachers, but just the basic materials are being paid for by city employees to get to get through.

Right? And so if the April 15 date is you have to say you've spent it all, because this has come up time and time again, we see a number somewhere on a spreadsheet and we say, well, the fire department never spends this or the police department always seems to have this many millions of dollars left over. So can you just explain more of that timeline so that we have a better understanding?

So that is something that has been occurring for many years within the city of Boston. It is a joint memo that comes out through the auditor, the director of budget, and the procurement, the purchasing agent for the city of Boston. And it outlines not just, you know, the restrictions of purchasing. It it outlines in general how the rest of the fiscal year will close out. The challenging part, you know, for for what I see at the fire department now, and I know many departments have have over the years talked to me about this, is that it's difficult to anticipate your needs on April 15, what you might need through the end of to June 30.

So, you know, we we did the best we can. We could at that point in time to order what we needed to to carry us through those. But almost daily, I get five, six calls from people, we forgot this, we didn't have this, we don't have this. And, you know, we have to make tough tough decisions to, you know, put things on hold or not buy things at all in in terms of that. Looking back, the money that, you know, I'll say is left on the table is money that we somehow lose access to.

So, you know, if we had left money in contracted services, whether it's, you know, say it was $500,000 when the budget gets, you know, allocated for the next year, what will happen is they'll use that example of money that was left on the table and level fund that particular cost center within the budget. Difficult to anticipate he needs three months out.

Right. Okay. Thank you. A cadet question. You mentioned, and I've had conversation before about the pay. Do you know what the police and the AMS cadets get paid?

I I am familiar. Police cadets, I believe they're part of the the police union as associate members so they might have been part of that collective bargaining recent contract. I'd have to get updated numbers on that but we did base the initial number on how much cadets, BPD cadets get. EMS is a little bit of a different kind of a hybrid quasi city agency. I do know that Mass State Police cadets are upwards of 40. Some 40 and some change so they get they get paid significantly more.

And I understand that maybe the cadets do a different job based on the department. But I know last year when I was advocating that our fire cadets get paid a little bit more, that many many police cadets who do a wonderful job and are out there in the community were saying, hey. Are you gonna advocate for me too? And I had no idea that we were paying them less. So I do just wanna go on record that while I support, you know, them getting paid well, that I don't want, the police cadets who have been around for a long time, and it's a great feeder program, that we also support them. And I've run out of time again, I will be here for a third round. But thank you.

Yes, ma'am. Okay. Thank you very much. Councillor Braden?

Thank you. One question I had was, in terms of this is about radio technology and in in emergency situations. Is and this is more of a technical question. In in an emergency, is does the BT the the fire department, are they able to seamlessly connect with other first responders like the EMS and police department? Are we are they on a frequency where they can talk to each other? Because I know that sometimes there's there's issues or I've heard that there's issues. Are are you any any insights into that?

Well, I'll refer to my subject matter experts in the fire service. But I can say that the city has been investing with a joint project with the police EMS of upgrading the technology and installing more access points all over the city. Previously, there were dead zones in in certain areas of the city. So that has improved. And I do believe that there is something built into the system where they can either online or offline talk to each other. Is that correct?

There is a system in place. We have an SOP. If we need to contact the police directly or the EMS directly, we go through our fire alarm and we activate the channel. The initiating department needs to activate the channel to let the other two agencies know that, you know, they need to monitor it. And then, you know, we could talk that way. Most of our communications does go through, fire alarm dispatches there, and they usually relay the messages on a normal everyday basis. It works pretty well. But if we had to talk directly, there there is a system in place where we could activate a channel.

So if you're in a if you're in a situation, heaven forbid, that there was an active shooter situation and and say you folks needed to contact police or EMS needed to contact police or each other, that's that's that's easy to do. There's a mechanism that

There is a mechanism, like I said, mechanism in place. The the agency that wants to activate the intercommunication needs to tell everyone, and then we monitored it.

Okay.

And then we can have the ability to flip the channel to that frequency.

Very good. And we would also establish a unified command post where we all could be in a same area talking amongst each other.

Okay. Good. Heaven forbid we have to think about these things, but there we are. A few years ago we got a grant for an investment in holes that don't collapse. How is the how is that those supplies or those equipment held up? Do we is there a planned obsolescence for equipment like that? Or what is this life cycle?

You speaking about the hose that the burn hose?

Yeah, it doesn't through?

It doesn't burn through and it maintains pressure when it's when it's it's yeah.

Yeah. We just recently fitted out all of our apparatus with the well, the engine companies anyway, with that hose. So it's still in the early stages of, you know

Being used to life Yeah.

Yeah. Okay.

But all of the engine companies have been furnished with that hose.

Yeah, like the last 100 feet I think of all our tack lines has that because that's the part of the hose that's going be closest to the fire. They're all using that type of hose.

Yeah, that's good. Good to know. Good to know we're investing in that equipment. And then back to the capital, planning several houses are firehouses are aging and in need of upgrades. Which stations are prioritized for this next financial this capital plan '27 through '31? And what criteria are used to determine your choice? I know there's many you probably need to upgrade many more than you've got on the list. Which ones are getting priority and what sort of criteria is being

used?

So I think in terms of criteria, I think it does vary from house to house. Some of them, I think the one in Charlestown was built, I think it's 1863, so that's relatively older houses. But some of the even the newer houses were built a little smaller and with the, you know, the the size of the apparatus, that's a something that is, you know, Cerus considered as is like the location of certain pieces. I mean, are several pieces, several fire houses on the capital plan that are in, you know, kind of design and discovery stage. I think all of the ones that are listed, you know, engine 21, engine three, engine eight, and engine nine are all priorities right now.

But I think there are several others that we have in the pipeline that will be hopefully being added to this list over the next year or so. Certainly, the Seaport is one that has come up many times and we've been close with that, but that is relative to a developer, you know, accessing some location down on the waterfront area that, you know, they've had some difficulty getting themselves established.

Thank you. And again, to your question about, you know, wellness and particulate matter in in firehouses and how how dangerous how detrimental the health of those conditions are, think it's gonna be money well spent to make our firehouses safer for our firefighters. And then I know we heard a lot about the loss of FEMA grants and like how significant is the loss of of federal funding in this particular climate? I think it's it's particularly egregious that we're it's impacting our public safety.

Think definitely, especially, you know, with full understanding crisis that the city is under right now. The access to federal and state grants give us the additional resources to be able to, you know, build up the department, whether it's through training or other initiatives for the safety, health, and wellness of the firefighters. But not just that. I mean, you know, some of these grants pay for, you know, overtime that is supplemental to the training of when we have to pull people into the training academy or if it is, like, for the hot work, you know, which is, you know, you know, a result of a terrible tragedy that occurred on Beacon Street. I mean, there's just so many things that we can use these grant monies for that just aren't built into our current budget.

Yeah, and ongoing training and professional development is hugely important. It's huge.

Use it or lose it.

Lose it or lose it. Yes, indeed. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Okay, thank you very much. Councillor Fitzgerald, sorry.

Thank you, Councillor Bobbitt. You, Chair. Okay. Bear with me for a sec here, okay? Because I'm going to I'm doing doing trying to do some back of the napkin math while everyone else was asking their questions. Trying to find ways to to cover some things here. It let me start by saying I I'm all for the city jobs for city kids, but we are also tasked with being fiscally responsible here, right? And there's this sort of a balance where we want to make sure we deliver the best services to all people of all the cities. So, I say that just before I begin. How many academy classes a year not cadet, academy classes per year? One to two, right?

Yes.

Right, roughly? On average, that class is 50?

50. About 50, yes.

And so we're splitting off fiftyfifty, and then that's divided. In half. Twenty five twenty five. Yep. Right? Half for the cadet slash hybrid program, half traditional. Traditional. We have we've we're about five cadet classes in. Right? For the cadets? Four? And working on the the fifth is? Working on the fourth. Working on the fourth. Okay. So and there is in the average amount of kids in the cadet classes per class is?

Running. Now that we're up and running, the average is going to kind of fluctuate. It's going to depend on how many cadets are going to into a recruit class. So we'll just be looking at open position numbers. So for instance, the Delta class that's going to start in June only has 13.

So it's

based on the number of open position numbers that we have.

Okay. Alright. That that helps because that was leading into sort of what I was going into the extrapolating it out. Yep. Going like, we're gonna create ourselves a log jam here where we're not we're gonna be training kids that will not have that we wouldn't be able to take into the academy. Right? And so was trying to think of saving efficiencies of, well, if we're spending money to train kids that are never going to get hired, maybe that's where we could look at some of the mental health, how to backfill some of the mental health stuff. Because I think if we said if it was 1,100,000, Mr. Coyne, if I'm correct, for the total cost annually of the cadet program, that x amount of kit, right?

Approximately. It's built into our personnel expenses.

And that it does that include the 32,000 per cadet as Yes. In that 1.1? Yes. Okay. Alright. So maybe I'm not you know, I thought I saw a hole in the line here where we could, like, you know, just sprint sprint to the end zone. But no. But that that that we're rightsizing the classes is important. Right? So that we one, we don't create that log jam. Two, we're being fiscally responsible. And three, we're allowing the best the academies to move forward with the with the the right amount of people. Well, Something to keep an eye on anyway, and I hope we continue to do that right sizing and opening. Appreciate that. Some of the other questions I had.

I know we talked about electric cars, BEST, the storage systems, the battery energy storage systems are coming up. And I know there's a lot of, I wouldn't say controversy, but concern about where they're being located, how close to residential, what pockets in the city do we have them open that could be there, and then how to how we're training to extinguish them. Because that's all I've heard is some of the issues of just like a just like a Tesla car, the these, and, you know, what what it can give off. Be happy if there's someone in the stands that could, just speak to that. That would be fantastic, Keith. Thank you. Sorry to make you work and earn it here.

I'm just happy I have something to do now.

Yeah. Yeah. Saw you nodding off. I said I should ask a best question. Keep him keep him active. No. Thank you very much, though, please. It is important that it is the future, so we're gonna see what's happening.

So as far as the location of them in the city, a lot of that has to do with zoning and the planning department. Where the fire department, we can't permit where something is going to go in the city. We can only make sure that when it goes there, it's safe. So that question really needs to be held in house here to talk to your planning department. I have talked to them. They were developing. I don't wanna speak with them.

Yep. Fair enough.

If you don't mind. So I'd like them. But Travis Anderson in the planning department is who I've had contact with and fantastic. I did talk to him last week about setting up some sort of policy. So it's it's coming. Like everything else, when it comes to energy storage, we're working on it. Because its technology is moving way faster than we are right now.

Yeah.

As far as what we are doing, Thanks to Julie. The BFT has a application in for the Advancing Massachusetts Power Grant, and I'm trying to line up an eight hour course on energy storage for every officer in Boston fire department. Great. We're waiting to hear back. Any movement?

Don't know. They should ask some questions regarding which is always a good sign for an application, but it's not yet been

So as far as training goes, it's coming.

It's yeah. It's coming. And, hopefully,

based on

the grant. Gotcha.

As far as the permitting goes too, fire prevention division is now working with inspectional services department. So whenever they get a permit now and have seen a copy of it, if anywhere on that permit energy storage is listed, ISD now will bring in the Boston fire department so we can work with these companies from the beginning instead of at the end. Chief Ellis can go into the fire marshal and the fire prevention side of things, but way more clearly than I can. We usually came at the end of things, stated about the beginning. Now with the BFD trying to become a stakeholder in energy storage on future permits, we'll be involved in the beginning.

So we can work with all these companies and say, where's gonna go? This is what we're looking for. Because like I said, we're working on it. The fire code isn't written yet for us to enforce the newest technologies. So let us work with you from the beginning so that we can make sure this is gonna be the safest possible location for it, and we know about it ahead of time as well.

Understood. If there's any way this body can help advance those grants or advocate, please let us know how, Julia, as well, and and we'll be happy to write individual letters, I'm sure, and others to make sure because it is important to have our workforce trained for what's coming and things aren't changing. So I know that's my time. Chair, thank you so much. And panel,

thank you so much

as Can can I add one more thing?

Yes. I'm You kind

of proud of it. Lot of talk about EVs. The eve the the the the battery fires that we're responding to, we're responding to way more smaller battery fires. Right? So the so the e scooters, the e bikes, the hoverboards, and stuff like that.

What we just got a hold of a we're setting up, in fact, to get a meeting this afternoon about it with representative out of Born in the National Waste and Recycle Association. We're gonna try to set up a lithium battery kickback recycle free for all the residents of Boston. BFD is gonna host it at our special operations division warehouse over in Rivermore Street in West Roxbury. It's slated for July. I got meetings to work out a lot of the details this afternoon, but we have had EV fires.

I don't wanna say that we have not had them. We've had I can think of three off the top of my head we've had in the last six months, but we've had at least a dozen escrutifiers and ebike fires. Since I've been tracking them since I've been in this position, I can think looked this morning before he came. We've had 16 fires that have been caused by the micro mobility lithium ion batteries possible. So we're working with businesses as well as those for when it comes to storage and charging, when it comes to apartment buildings, dorms, businesses to make sure that they're kept in a secure location.

Well, thank you for all you all the work you do on the preventative side. Appreciate it.

No problem.

Thank you, Jim.

Okay. Yeah. Thank you very much. Yeah. Think there was like a there was several fatalities at a fire related to like a store that was in New York City a year ago two years ago with the Twenty

forty three was the leading cause of death.

Yeah yeah for the store that was working on batteries and you know like rehabbing them or whatever anyway so it's a serious issue thanks for bringing that up. Okay thank you councilor Culpepper six minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Commissioner, I think you were talking about reinvestment in the firehouses that had HVAC issues. I think they're $300,000 that went to HVAC. How much would it cost to really update all of those seven houses where there are issues?

Counselor, I am I can't give you an exact number because

Can you get back to us?

Sure. But as Deputy Commissioner Coyne said, each house, because of its configuration, is different. So just to put a blanket cost on those seven houses, like I said, we would have to extrapolate that out to how each house is configured.

Please, because it doesn't make sense for the firemen to go to work every day and under the threat of maybe cancer because of carcinogen. It doesn't make sense, does it? No, it doesn't. I mean, who wants to I mean, I'm amazed to hear that this morning that they're going to work every day and there's a possibility that over the years they could end up with cancer. It just doesn't make sense.

So if you could get that to us and let us look at it because it just boggles my mind that these officers take away going to a fire and the threat and the challenges and the safety issues dealing with fires. But then they gotta come back and go to sleep in a house where in a firehouse where there's a possibility that they may end up with cancer. Just it makes no sense whatsoever.

And I can't speak directly to Please. What's in the capital budget, but I can tell you some of what's in the capital budget is to replace maybe there's many, many firehouses have window units. So this would be, you know, upgrading those systems to a more energy efficient system, something that's, you know, more environmentally friendly, you know, probably overall would provide better, you know, cooling and heating within the firehouses. So that's part of what's in the capital plan right now.

Okay. And and if you could just get us what would bring it so that the risks to the firemen are lessened, what that would cost. I mean, because I think we really need to look at that versus a lot of other things that across the city's budget that we look at, it would be helpful because I know they're saving lives, but we wanna save their lives too. And so if you could break that out so we can look at that and just brainstorm over that Because that seems to me to be a critical issue in terms of the health and safety of the fireman.

One example I can give you oh, sorry.

I'm sorry. I just wanted to say that under commissioner Joe Finn, he did start an industrial cleaning program that tried to address most of these issues within the current firehouses. As Commissioner Coyne is just saying, terms of the HVAC systems, that is a separate component of it that we that's new to us. So but we we are currently on a program where we do industrial clean the main floors of firehouses. We haven't done them all but we have them in the pipeline to do that.

When you say the HVAC is new to you, you mean in terms of identifying that that's Yes, a safety

that's all part of the safety factor because like I said the houses should be zoned in terms of, you know, hot zone where the the apparatus and the gear is, the sleeping the sleeping quarters area. So that HVAC system is throughout the house. So you're still getting contaminants from the main area the main floor into those other living spaces.

Thank you. The we talked a lot about that 1,400,000, whether there would be a supplement or an amendment, and we can talk about that among ourselves to try and figure out whether we'll be able to make an amendment for it. But I mean, whatever we can do, we're willing to do. And and I want to ask a question. Is it deputy superintendent deputy Gaskins? I'll take the floor. What's the I'll give it to you if I could.

Yes, sir.

Hey. Let's give it to him. Chair? What's the proper title? What's the proper title?

Recruitment officer.

Recruitment officer.

Yeah. I'm a civilian employee with

the department. So you mentioned that there would probably be a need for a job analysis. Why why why would there need to be a job analysis?

The the question was around exams. Right, right. If you're going to change or consider the change of any promotional exam you need to do a job analysis to determine whether or not the process and the components of the exam make the assessment. BPD goes through that job analysis about every five to seven years to determine whether or not they're going to add a oral component or some type of other components to that. So that's a longer term approach to determining whether or not our exams are adequate or whether or not there needs to be additional components that would be added to determine one's ability to do the job.

And so there is there one needed?

That's not my area. I would say every department if they're responsible in their exam process should go through a job analysis about every five to seven years.

And who would make that determination? Who would make that assessment?

I think that's a cooperative kind of conversation between personnel and civil service. Our personnel internal in the civil service department.

Thank I'll allow you to make a comment on this. So, just in terms of what I was asking about is when we're making promotions we use a written test. So, in these in our police exam case the the the city hires a firm to do a job analysis for you know a fire lieutenant and what what are the KSA's the skills knowledges and the knowledge of and abilities for that job. And then if you look at the test, try to see, you wanted to measure

To met, yeah.

The important skills, knowledge and abilities. And so in our police lieutenant exam case, the court said, a written, you know, eightytwenty exam, a written exam with this sort of education experience rating where everyone got the same score, failed to measure really important skills and abilities of a police lieutenant, were oral communication skills and leadership skills and organizational skills. And so using that as a test that had a disparate impact on officers of color, like they couldn't show was a valid exam. Whereas if you have I use a fire correct me if I'm wrong. There might be a requirement that you carry a hose that weighs, don't know, a 100 pound, whatever, 50 pounds up six flights of stairs.

Might have women do worse on that test, but it has it might have a closer relation. So, you have discrimination, but then under Title VII, it's not illegal if you can show it, you know, it's measuring an important skill and ability. And there I just so, I use that just as not as like a that that's actually happening or as an example. That's when I so mentioned much we talked about the job analysis, it just we try to make sure our our promotional mechanisms are measuring the right things. And so, to have a valid job analysis, it has to be conducted I think every five to seven years.

And I think the police department had been like many more years than that to say, oh, job analysis is even valid as they're basing it off of. So that that I don't think we need a job analysis necessarily. It's

So my question to you mister chair, and that's what I was gonna ask. Do we need a job analysis? And why would you say you don't necessarily think we need one?

I think you And who

would make that determination?

It's not the job analysis that's the issue. It's how our civil service laws require us to measure capability for advancement. So I think that as long as they're up to date, as long as they do every five to seven years, they have a valid job. I think we all agree on what you need to be a good superior officer. Don't know what you would call in the fire department. But to be good at that job, I think we all it's not really a debate about that. It's like whether our test gets to those things, if Gaskins wants to talk

about that.

So, we talk about that? Yeah. I just want to chime in because you're talking about every five to seven years or whatever for the judge. The Civil Service Commission, after the court case that you referenced for the police, did change our exam process and did a job analysis. It's not just eightytwenty, as you say, 80 written and 20 experience. They've added a situational judgment component to our exams now. So now you still take, like, an 80 or 100 question test, and that's rated a certain percentage. But now they're actually giving you situations, and you answer questions based on the situations. So it's not just route memory anymore. So they have changed our test and that's over the last three or four years.

Mr. Chair, mean, took my time away.

I did. Waited till the buzzer went off. I didn't Let take any of your time me just

ask them about this job analysis. How long ago was that when they did that?

When they changed the situation? About probably about four years ago, counselor.

Okay. So we probably don't need a job analysis He

he's not talking about a job

the last exam that was strictly the 80 questions or eighty twenty. Since now is about four years ago, could promote it three. And since then, the tests have been added with the situational judgment.

Can I now ask my question?

Well, you've got to the end of your time, councilor Kovac. But I just I thought I would but if you want if you want to make a

comment I just have a question that they're not gonna be able to answer now. Sure. I would like just like I did with the Boston Police Department because my question is since that consent decree and I know you remember when that consent decree was dissolved. I wanted to look at what's happened with the fire department since that consent decree was dissolved, whether the hiring and promotion of minorities have gone up, whether it's gone down, or whether it stayed the same. Just give me, when you can, and I'm asking this to the chair, the impact of the dissolution of that consent decree?

Yep. We can get that data. I do know from last year's hearing and I I believe that I mean mostly you know the the the percentage numbers are are lower. You know the police department patrol officers have managed to achieve a level that reflects the diversity of the city. The fire department has not.

And we talked about it prior last year with commissioner Burke and it being a component of these, you know, the scoring system where, you know, even though if you've lived here your whole life, you're not a disabled veteran, but if you live in Oklahoma and you take the test, you score 30 points worse, you still end up on top of that, ranked above that person. So it's something I think they're working on and the and the governor has approved this you know hybrid pathway system which we're using and we have data from the presentation on people coming in you know and it is a more diverse group but I think I think the fire department in that respect has work to do. Can that's my first

I just finish? Yes. And and recruitment gaskets the other piece of it was with regard to the example you gave of the person that lived out of state, out of the city that was a veteran versus somebody that had lived in Dorchester all of their life. I wanted to just know you, and I know you probably don't have it now, what impact at the time did the consent decree have on the veterans versus the ones that were city residents for years?

Thank you Mr. Chair. Under the consent decree for a period of time, they did one for one hiring. That one for one hiring meant one person coming off of a traditional civil service list and then one person of color. Oftentimes could be a civilian. So if the person scored a 99 from the traditional list, would take the 99 from the civilian list for a person of color. So they did that over a period of time and then there was a dissolution of that.

But what about with regard to the veteran? Did it have an impact on whether a veteran was brought in at that point or whether someone that had been living in the city? That's what I was trying

to get to. That that's hard to determine because there are two preferences that can happen within the civil service list. DAVs which have absolute preference and then veterans. If you use our current hybrid model as an example, we actually hired veterans through our hybrid process. These are people that serve the country but just have veteran status. If not for the hybrid process we would never have reached them on the traditional list because of the glut of DAVs that we have on the traditional list.

Okay. Thank you, Councilor Kobay. We will have a brief third round and I think we'll be able to get to you. Thank you very much. Okay.

Just couple questions from the chair. Okay. In terms of, there is discussion about supplementals to the budget, which would be just adding money onto the budget from reserves. I just you know in terms of if you look at recent history New York City had their financial outlook downgraded from stable to negative because they were taking money out of their reserves to pay for one time expenses and because they're making overly optimistic revenue projections which has hurt their ability to borrow money to do things like build fire houses and build schools and things like that. So, I would say that we should be very careful with spending money from our reserves, adjusting revenue projections because the City of Boston, have our highest possible rating.

It's a strong financial foundation that allows us to increase the fire department budget by 2% this year at a time when lots of costs are going up. So I think your budget it's like 335,000,000 do I have that right? So, when we're talking about 1,400,000 for cancer screenings and I agree with all my colleagues and my just I can't believe the cancer data for our firefighters. It's, you know, I feel like we need to do everything we can to help them. Know, and this is probably a decision made, Commissioner, before you even took this job.

But, somewhere in that budget, like I think we're just waiting for the 1.4 to come in as a grant. Like when did why is that not prioritized in in the fire department's budget? I mean like what what what decisions were made to fund something over that? I

Well, I think it wasn't a decision. It was just that we have been receiving this grant since 2017, and now that has gone away. Mhmm. So how can we provide level of services and the security needed to make sure the firefighters, you know, get the adequate screening to prevent occupational cancers and other things, you know, if we don't have the funds available to us.

Have you looked through the budget to try to I mean, I think as Counselor Fitzgerald was talking about maybe ways in manipulating the cadet I mean, can you at least come up with like a plan? We could talk about it for how.

It's difficult because traditionally we are not receiving increases in line items across our budget, which you're referencing is the increase is 2.4% is a direct result of collective bargaining agreements. And there are several other cost centers within the department. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine cost centers, 10 cost centers in the department that are taking hits, reductions this year. And, you know, the one mentioned to, you know, my colleagues, you know, commissioner Marshall, commissioner Ellis is, you know, the budget, it does not account for any inflationary factors. You know, as, you know, average citizens, consumers here, we see increases in everything over the past, you know, probably a couple weeks.

Just look at the price of gas. But this budget and traditionally has not allowed for any increases at all in terms of inflation or any any changes.

Yeah. No. And and it's like, you were at a time when property people's property taxes, residential property taxes are going up and they're looking and they're like, well why is the fire department budget or the police department budget going up? If you're talking about collective bargaining, we're trying to pay people, make sure, you know, the public, our BPS budget is going up. And even though it goes up about $100,000,000 they're still having to lay people off. It just costs more to retain people. So I'm glad to hear you're, you know, we're maintaining staffing levels. But in terms of those items that are going down, contractual services is taking a hit.

And I can't remember. It's like, I think. $75,996.82.

I have it. Yeah, contracted services is 438,000 less than the 52,900 line item. I guess what is the contractual? It's going down from 3.7 to 3,300,000. I mean what are what are the how is that gonna impact the fire departments?

Well contracted services is you know the things that we use for service related work in the department, things that we cannot maintain with our existing workforce. So it could be, you know, like the, you know, adjusting of the HVAC systems, having to call on a specialized, you know, mechanic to be able to do some of that work. That's just, you know, one example. There's, many examples of how we use contracted services money.

Are there any contracts that you know you're terminating because of the budget?

No, there's no contracts that we're terminating.

Okay.

But there's other services that are taking a hit in terms of contractor services that directly affect the health and wellness of firefighters like our bunker gear cleaning would be considered a contractual service that we are going to take a hit on. So we have to figure out a way to either try to bring that in house at some point and try to, like I said, deflect that cost. But at this point, we just don't know how we're going to cover that.

Okay. Okay. And there is well, okay, that's it for me for this round. We're going to go to the third round to my colleagues. I I think because we have a 02:00 hearing, we're gonna try to end this hearing at one, which is, I think, in a half an hour, twenty three minutes. So we divide 23 by five. But, yeah, how about three minutes, Councillor Flynn?

Thank you. Commissioner, Bunker Gia cleaning, that program is being cut? That funding is being cut?

Well, that comes under the contractual services. Like I said, that per se is not going to be cut, but we have to make some tough decisions.

Okay. Historically, it has not been funded completely. So it costs us about $880,000 a year to maintain the cleaning of the bunker gear. As a line item, we have been funded approximately $600,000 for that. So what that does to us is we're forced to make decisions on where do we find that additional money to compete complete that cleaning

annually. Okay. Did did the fight did the fire department advocate prior to the release of the budget that these programs that are being cut or that won't be refunded or funded would have a negative would have a devastating impact on the health and wellness of firefighters and their families. Was did did the fire department mention that to the mayor's office?

Yes, we did.

And what was the response?

Well, again, most of the, that funding was gonna be cut from grants. Grants. So the response is basically that you can't, you know, depend on grants to to fund everything in your budget. So, I I mean, basically, we just have to make some hard choices like other departments to reallocate funds to cover those things.

But if we know the grants are not being funded, the budget has to be adjusted to reflect that the grants aren't being funded and then more money has to go into the budget to make up that difference. That didn't take place. That's what I'm that's what I'm concerned about. Now we as a city, I I believe we have a moral obligation to get that money back into the budget. I don't think we have a choice.

I don't think we we can have a conversation if we're going to do it. The only conversation we can have is how we're going to do it. And that has to take place today. And people say, well, you know, there's there's know, there's no money in the budget, but we're funding a lot of programs that don't necessarily need to be funded completely, in my in my opinion. I've I've said that. People say, well, a budget is a reflection of your values. I don't I don't wanna hear about people's values. I wanna see the budget. I wanna see the budget. And if the budget says that we're cutting health and wellness, then we have to start over.

But we just can't mister chair, we just can't go on and accept that we're cutting health and wellness as if it's not not that big of a deal. This is a major priority. If if anything comes out of this meeting today, residents of Boston should know that we're going to cut health and wellness programs that are saving lives for Boston firefighters and their families. And is the city council going to accept that? That's the question. Is the city council going to sit down and accept that or are we gonna do something about it? That's that's the question. Thank you, mister Chen.

Thank you, councilor Flynn. Councilor Murphy, three minutes.

Thank you.

So,

you know, we're referred to as the first in the nation. I would argue the best in the nation also. But to me, it is outrageous, and I just wanna thank you all for, you know, being here in your answers. It's probably one of the most productive budget hearings. Many times we come, we ask a few questions, we leave without any real understanding if we need to advocate.

I think it's important that we have these tough conversations because if we're funding things across all other city departments that aren't, in my opinion, life and death situations. And if our city employees are, you know, sleeping and living and eating in unhealthy spaces, that's unacceptable. Right? We can't have students in classrooms with asbestos, and we find the money to make sure we remove it. We can't have seniors or like counsel Flynn always advocating for our BHA residents when there's rats and broken elevators.

It's just unacceptable. So we can have fun and fund feel good things, and those are important for a city to be, you know, happy and have fun. But to me, these are the tough decisions that we've been saying all along that this time will come where we have to make tough decisions. So I am ready to make those tough decisions and agree that we have to find a way and not through our amendment process. But if we need the residents to back us, which I know they will, to advocate that these things are not gone from the budget before we need to take a vote in June.

But I do wanna have my few minutes to ask, Michael, if you could just talk a little bit about the residency requirement. And thank you also for the work we're doing. I you know, with the cadet program and all, you know, I've been to all of those pinnings and when we graduate academies, I do see, you know, the change in lots of young women. My daughter's friend, you know, she grew up with. It's great to see city kids on these jobs and neighbors that I taught and just see around the neighborhood. But there's a three year residency requirement to apply to the cadet program. Is that true?

That's correct.

Yes.

If

you're somebody who was born and raised in the city of Austin so, know, you've been here, you know because oftentimes, like, we know we when we talk to police officers also, you might say to someone if they've been on for a few years, like, oh, what neighborhood do you live in? Like but they grew up in Duxbury. You know, they grew up somewhere else. They obviously live here for the ten years. But if you have lived you know, went to, you know, school in Boston, grew up here, do you get more points, or do you have a an advantage over someone who may have, like, you've grown up in Pembroke their whole life and then use their grandmother's address in High Park, South Boston?

Maybe they were living there, but the timeline often I'm not pick like, targeting any one person, but knowing that there is a way to say, well, we've been living here in this address. It's a family house and it's a cadet, but they were probably away in college. They've never actually lived in any of these neighborhoods because I just don't want this small number of opportunities, which I think are wonderful for our city kids to not go to 100%, like, actual, you know, city kids that we see, you know, at our playgrounds, in our kindergarten classrooms, going through our middle school and high school, and, you know, working at, you know, our in our neighborhoods. And so if you could just explain a little bit about that residency and how we look at it.

Yes. Thank you, ma'am. So I'm not aware of anybody that would use a different address or anything of that nature. We do have great investigators that we used that are usually former BPD detectives and so we have a pretty good understanding in terms of residency. The three years is really just an opportunity for us to look at candidates that have a minimum of three years. The majority of our cadets born and raised here.

Yeah. That's my question. So I'm I'm not saying if they have their three years that maybe they weren't being honest about that, but I would want that they have less however the point system goes for some interview on. They could ask that. If they were lined up and they both did a great job on their interview and they both bring value that you can see, but that someone who's actually lived here their whole life that they would be chosen over someone who, you know, obviously grew up somewhere else and just moved here for this opportunity.

Yeah. I would agree with you. Overall, there's no point system in terms of the cadets and their their assessment process. I would say if I'm vetting two candidates and they're equal that we'd probably opt for the candidate that had more time in the city because chances are they're more vested in the city. They've probably had more experience in the communities as well.

We look at volunteerism as a as a big plus within the department so chances are if you have more time in the city, you've graduated from a school in the city, a more met coal program, chances are you would have more, we would lean more toward that particular candidate's profile but again it's a it really is subjective in case by case. I have one example of kid that came from New Jersey who's now a firefighter, was a cadet. He's a he was a cadet, now he's a firefighter. He came here as a young adult to play college hockey. And so a great example of a candidate, again myself, not being a Boston resident lifelong, but I've been here longer than I've been anywhere else in the world.

I think I would have made an excellent firefighter by coming here and laying roots in Roxbury right on Woodville Street and really becoming a productive citizen of the city. So there's a balance to it. But all in all if two candidates are equal, a kid that is from the city chances are there would be more weight that on that candidate's profile.

Thank you.

You. Councillor Fitzgerald three minutes.

Thank you chair. I don't really have any remaining questions just want to say thank you all. Look forward to continue to work with you and you know hopefully, there can be some maneuvering internally on the budget to try and cover some of these health issues. We wanna make sure if we're sending folks, to fight fires for us that they're coming back the same way they went in. So, maybe there's just a little bit more digging we can do, and happy to help with you guys at any time. But I know times are tight, so just to continue that advocacy. But otherwise, thank you all for what you do for the city of Boston.

Okay. Thank you. Okay. Councilor Culpepper, you've waived your three minutes. I'm I'm pressed now. Okay. You got three minutes.

Reclaiming my time. Thank you mister chair. Commissioner I want to raise a question with you with regard to the firefighter gear and the the PFAS and whether they're still using gear that has that PFAS in it. And if they are, how are you transitioning how quickly are you transitioning away from a PFAS included firefighters gear?

Counsel, we we do still have the traditional gear and we've purchased the newer gear. There's nothing that says that we have to strictly go to to the PFAS gear right away. So we're still using, like I said, the older gear that that supposedly has the PFAS in it at this time.

And so let me ask you through the chair if you could go back and look at an estimate of what it would cost to provide all firefighters with PFAS free gear. Because again, it doesn't make sense for them to put on their gear and it has that health risk to go out to fight to save fires for folks and they're putting on gear that is possibly threatening their their life. And I looked at the six hundred and thirty seven high risk cases that have been identified through body scans, four hundred thirteen cardiovascular issues, the referrals, the ninety four referrals for further treatment. And I'm traumatized this morning to see these figures. Even with regard to the the gear, we should be able to provide the firefighters with PFAS free gear.

So if that is contributing to cancer, that's something that we can take off the table. Because again, I know it's older equipment, but I think we have to focus on what helps save lives. And it seems like from all the studies and the reports that PFAS free gear is helping to save lives. And I don't think folks really understand the significance of the gear that they wear and how the gear is a threat to their safety. So if you could look at it through the chair to see what it would cost to at least provide the firefighters with PFAS free gear.

Because here they are, going out to fight a fire and their safety is at risk too. So I'd appreciate that. And So I think we we have to be serious about the impact that these officers are taking on with regard to firefighters. And I wanna publicize the whole world because then you'll have no one want to be a firefighter. But I think it's important that we as a council have a fiduciary duty to make sure we do all we can to make sure these firefighters, at least the gear And Counsel,

traditionally, we do allocate resources every year through the lease purchase program, and the replenishment program we're on is about 400 sets per year at about 3,500 each. So we have requested as part of the f y twenty seven budget submission this year a $1,400,000 add on to continue that program. So we're hoping that will move forward. And I will say the city has been very good funding that line every year.

And will that program is that used to buy the PFAS free gear?

Yes. That will be.

And then after you do that, how much more do we need? And how many officers are actually using the gear that has the PFAS contaminant in it? Because I think we need to be more aggressive about trying to at least get them with contaminant free gear that they have to wear on.

It's something that we'll have to look at. I mean

Thank you. Please.

We have 400 sets, so we'll

we'll look. Thank you.

Excuse me, counsel. Yeah. I could maybe add a few things. We've met with manufacturers in the probably within the last year about PFAS gear going to it. The And way it was explained to me is PFAS free isn't necessarily PFAS. It's just below the reportables reportable standard. And one of the other things that would they explained to us is it doesn't last as long. Not it's not as durable, and it costs probably two to three times as much. So when you give each firefighter, you have to give each firefighter two sets. It can the the cost can can add up. Now I don't wanna come up here and say that I'm putting cost over a firefighter's life, but those are the things that we're running up against. I mean, I'd love to have that conversation if that'd what's

Absolutely. I'd love to have that conversation because I think it's important. I think it's really, really important that we try and do all we can between now and next year, even if it means going outside. Yep. The government I mean, look, we've got all these companies that would probably be willing to contribute Mhmm. To the health and safety of firefighters. So so let's have some side conversations commissioner Sure. And your leadership team to to talk about how we can really give all of the firefighters PFAS free gear. Thank you, mister Okay.

Thank thank you very much. I just in terms of we talked about the 1,400,000 for cancer screening. That money came from an outside grant. If it's to be funded, like, within the department's budget, where I'm not saying this is happening but just where is that money where should it go in your budget? Is it contractual services or you know?

I don't know that. Would say that any additional cuts would be almost devastating.

No, I'm saying like if we amended the budget to, you know, to fund the cancer screening, where in your fire, you know, the fire department budget would that money

Male Well, majority would go directly to the safety, health, and wellness, which I think is $2.02 $1,800.

Is that

Are you looking for the account or

I'm just where would we want to send that money to to do the most good?

So just to be clear, the 1,400,000 is the total award that we have received from our AFG grant. And it's generally split between our training unit and our safety, health, and wellness. The other questions about cancer screening, just you know to be upfront, we the union was also doing cancer screening but they had certain caps on age and years of service and you know there were costs to the member. So it has been a program that we've been sort of developing and and staying on top of despite not being funded through our operating budget. We also got an allocation from a different department within the fire department, different cost center to move a $100,000 from, I think, miscellaneous supplies of our facilities department into contractual services.

And those funds were also utilized when we did our most recent cancer screening through United Diagnostics. But essentially, you know, it all depends on our we intend you know, the federal government lapse in funding has has created a lot of uncertainty citywide, and that's well known. Again, like chief Marshall said too, oftentimes, you know, we can't rely on grant funds, and we have to look at sustainability. So I think I think it was probably about $800,000 that went towards the cancer screening in this or not in the fiscal year twenty three grant which has expired. Fiscal year twenty four grant is also puts us at an issue where the clinical director was our nutritionist and our injury prevention specialist who is proactively working with members to prevent line of duty injuries.

Also, the clinical director has hinged her treatment nutritional plans based on a lot of the cardiac results that have come from the body scanning. So I think the funds would be that's where we're seeing our biggest hit would be the safety, health, and wellness budget because there's not much of a budget within that unit. And so the grant funds, just to be clear, that 1,400,000 is what we were awarded in fiscal year twenty three. What we applied for about the same amount. We we cycled the programs sometimes.

So it's not always cancer screening. It's not always, you know, different things depending on where we stand with funding or other funding. We make those judgment calls through the management. But I think in looking at the budget, like Kevin said, you know, bunker gear cleaning has been level funded, if not short funded, dips into other categories. And sometimes we're using the grants to say, okay, the you know, our budget is this.

And we're also mindful. We certainly don't want to take money off of other departments where students are not getting paper or pencils. You know, so we have addressed our concerns upward, and we understand that we're in a very difficult climate with a funding gap deficit. So we do our best to sort of make sure that we can continue, you know, our critical services.

Yeah. I think, I mean, it would help to just maybe to sketch out to provide the same benefits as were being provided by the grant. If the grant doesn't come through, what types of resources would and how would the I could from the chair, can send you like just a question and you can answer that. And it might help. I mean, folks who this is a high priority, and I think most of the colleagues of my colleagues would want to see that, you know, continued, how to effectively advocate for that. So we can take that Yeah.

I think Chief Hsieh probably has sort of a working plan. You know, we were able to scan a good amount of our members, you know, the 700, which is about half, you know, they they medically can't do these scans every year. So it's that we can work with a number of what we might be able to do to get a good comprehensive scanning plan scheduled for future years to know, you know, what our best approach would be. So it may not necessarily be the amount that was awarded in the grant, but what we can do Yeah. To best service our members.

I hear that. Well, thank you very much. I want to just thank the commissioner and your staff for answering questions. I want to thank my council colleagues for being here and asking great questions. And so, know, it's 01:00. We we have a hearing at two. Trying to give central staff an hour to get ready for the next hearing. We we don't have anyone else here. Yeah. Okay. This this morning's hearing is now adjourned.