VII.2. Fire Department Staffing Capacity Update and Funding Request; Specken
CITY OF HOPKINS
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Dale Specken, Fire Chief
Mike Wenshau, Deputy Fire Chief
Date: May 20, 2025
Subject: Fire Department Staffing Capacity Update and Funding Request
_____________________________________________________________________
PURPOSE
Hopkins Fire Department staff will provide an update on the current staffing capacity
challenges of the department and seeks Council feedback regarding a funding request
to hire two additional full time firefighters.
INFORMATION
The Hopkins Fire Department (HFD) is responsible for a wide range of critical services
for the City of Hopkins, including fire suppression, emergency medical response, annual
occupancy inspections, code enforcement, building plan reviews, fire prevention
planning, and community outreach.
In 2023, the City of Hopkins engaged Raftelis to conduct a comprehensive Fire
Department Staffing Study. The goal of this study was to evaluate operations, service
demands, and organizational efficiency, and to provide recommendations to improve
effectiveness and sustainability.
Current Staffing Challenges
• Authorized Staffing: The department is currently authorized for a Chief, Deputy
Chief, paid-on-call Assistant Chief, four full-time firefighters (FFs), and 42 paid-
on-call (POC) firefighters.
• Actual Staffing: As of now, there are only 25 active POC firefighters.
• High Turnover: HFD has recently lost 8 firefighters to nearby departments (e.g.,
Bloomington, Eagan, Minneapolis) that offer full-time roles.
• Excessive Workload:
o POC firefighters contributed over 13,600 hours in 2024, each covering at
least 32 hours per month.
o There are currently 320 hours of open shifts per month (projected through
July), many requiring officers or drivers with specialized training.
Fire Department
o Full-time firefighters are covering extra shifts, leading to increased
overtime and risk of burnout.
o Chief officers are experiencing a growing call load, further straining
leadership resources.
Request to City Council
HFD is requesting funding for two additional full-time firefighters to address the ongoing
staffing crisis.
Justifications:
• Ensures consistent 24-hour coverage by fully trained personnel.
• Reduces dependency on overtime and mitigates full-time staff burnout.
• Supports POC firefighters by pairing them with full-time staff for round-the-clock
three-person crews.
• Maintains HFD’s critical 4–5 minute emergency response time.
• Aligns with the long-term staffing strategy recommended in the Raftelis study.
Estimated Budget Impact
• Estimated cost of two full time firefighters starting on August 1, 2025 - $108,000
• Estimated savings from POC shift coverage - $35,000
• Budget increase - $73,000
Alternatives Considered (and Rejected):
• Returning to an all-call model, increasing response time to 10 minutes.
• Expanding part-time/POC staffing, which has high turnover (52% attrition rate
within three years).
• Shifting responsibilities to the Police Department, which is already overburdened.
• Relying on mutual aid from neighboring departments, many of which are also
understaffed.
The department’s proposal is a proactive step to stabilize operations, maintain high
service standards, and support both full-time and on-call personnel in the face of
growing regional and organizational demands.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
• Budget impact presentation.
FUTURE ACTION
Based on City Council feedback and discussion, a resolution to amend the 2025
General Fund budget will be presented at the June 3, 2025 meeting.
Budget Impact
Estimated cost of two fulltime firefighters
starting on August 1, 2025 -$108,000
Estimated savings from paid on call shift
coverage -$35,000
Budget increase -$73,000
Budget Impact
Approved
Budget
Proposed
Budget
Fund Balance on 1/1/2025 8,004,139 8,004,139
2025 Budgeted Revenues 19,520,490 19,520,490
2025 Budgeted Expenditures 19,920,490 19,993,490
(400,000) (473,000)
Fund Balance on 12/31/2025 7,604,139 7,531,139
Fund Balance as Percent of Expenditures 38.17%37.67%
Historical Fund Balance Levels
Fund
Balance
Percent
Arts Center
Deficit
Depot
Deficit
Parking
Deficit
Adjusted
Fund
Balance
Percent
12/31/2024 43.45%- (143,071) (225,300) 41.45%
12/31/2023 53.19%- (190,834) (79,027) 51.61%
12/31/2022 53.99%(345,337) (204,125) - 50.59%
12/31/2021 52.28%(702,981) (167,475) - 46.76%
12/31/2020 46.66%(996,730) (83,687) - 39.63%
12/31/2019 40.75%(1,143,556) (55,330) - 32.43%
12/31/2018 40.38%(1,200,071) (55,602) - 31.03%
12/31/2017 44.54%(1,186,199) (22,734) - 35.12%
12/31/2016 48.66%(1,011,663) - - 40.14%
12/31/2015 50.94%(852,597) - - 43.43%
12/31/2014 50.50%(848,017) - - 42.75%
2026 Budget Impact
Two additional fulltime positions included as
base level in 2026 Budget
Reductions in Paid on Call or part-time
firefighters
Next Steps
Resolution to Amend 2025 General Fund
Budget on June 3rd