In a budgetary discussion to explore potential financial savings, the Riverton City Council briefly considered decreasing Unified Fire staffing, before choosing to maintain the status quo. 

As city officials evaluated cutting costs, one option was dropping crews at Stations 121 and 124 to three-person crews. Which would have saved the city approximately $800,000, according to City Manager Kevin Hicks. 

Ultimately the council unanimously approved staying at its current standard, keeping four-person crews at both Stations 121 (12600 S. 4146 West) and 124 (12662 S. 1300 West). 

Councilmember Tish Buroker, who represents Riverton on the Unified Fire board, said the question was essentially measuring if the cost savings would be worth it. 

“As a council, our job is to make sure we have strong public safety in the city of Riverton, that’s our No. 1 priority,” she said. “Fire, police and providing for those public services the public cannot provide for themselves: sewer, water. 

I want us to remain with four-handers at both stations.” 

All elected officials were quick to point out the discussion was not a reflection upon the quality of service nor to target the fire department. Mayor Trent Staggs emphasized that several times saying the city’s enjoyed “fantastic service with UFA and we want that to be unequivocal.” 

Councilmember Troy McDougal later added they try to maximize every tax dollar of the residents’, with Councilmember Andy Pierucci pointing out this is council’s job.

“We wouldn’t be doing our jobs without these conversations,” he said prior to the council vote in March. “We need to get past being uncomfortable with conversations like this. Our job is to represent those who elected us to maximize every dollar.” 

The city moved to four-person crews in 2017, initially reporting a slight increase in response times but a decrease in action time on scene. The increased staffing also allowed for Riverton to have specialty units in heavy rescue and hazmat companies. 

UFA Chief Dominic Burchett explained to the council in March those specialty units require six personnel (four-person crews and two-person ambulance). Moving to a three-person crew, he explained, would require an ambulance to relocate outside the city, decreasing response times and leaving the heavy apparatus unavailable. He also said the city, due to their regional model, receives the staffing benefit of 12 firefighters for the cost of eight right now. 

Officials discussed the possibility of keeping one station a four-person crew and dropping the other to three-person. Dropping one station would push out a possible property tax increase a year or two, Hicks said. Dropping both stations to three could delay it three or four years. 

Several residents also spoke in favor of keeping stations at four across two council meetings in March. 

Ed Amano, a Riverton resident and Salt Lake City firefighter, emphasized the four-person crews are the industry standard. 

“It allows for safer operations for those of us who are serving,” he told the council. 

OSHA, for example, mandates four firefighters must be present during structural firefighting, two outside and two inside. 

Dave Park, a former firefighter for Salt Lake City, told the council how important four-person crews are for morale, allowing the crew to address the emergency situation as it arises with the proper staffing. 

“The crew knows that they’ve got a city behind them that backs them,” he added. 

The council’s consensus was the financial benefits didn’t outweigh the possible impact on public safety. 

“Fundamentally I believe keeping our community safe and these emergency responders are so important,” Councilmember Tawnee McCay said.  λ