Houston’s firefighters say the city is running in permanent emergency mode, and now they have a number for what it would take to fix it: roughly $95.5 million.
That figure comes from a union-backed study presented to the City Council safety committee on Tuesday, which argues Houston needs a major cash infusion to shore up ambulance coverage and build more fire stations as emergency call volumes keep climbing. The report says the investment would help cut long response times and reduce stretches when no medic units are available, according to ABC13.
The analysis, prepared for the International Association of Fire Fighters, recommends adding 65 ambulances across the city and building 10 new firehouses on top of Houston’s current network. During the 200-day study period, it found more than 200 incidents where no medic units were available at all, and report maps show many neighborhoods missing a four-minute arrival goal, ABC13 reported.
Union Push And The Price Tag
Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighter Association, is treating the findings like a flashing red siren. He said the upgrades are critical and estimated it costs about $700,000 a year to operate a single ambulance and roughly $5 million to $10 million to build a new station.
“We don't have enough resources, and we have got to invest and add ambulances and fire trucks and stations to the city of Houston,” Lancton told ABC13. The union’s conservative tally puts the immediate price tag at $95.5 million, and leaders say they plan to press council members and the public to get behind the proposal.
City Response And Budget Squeeze
City Hall is not exactly brushing off the report, but officials are questioning the timing. The mayor’s office noted that recent reorganizations and audits inside the department could change the picture the study paints once those moves are fully in place.
They are also staring down some ugly math. Houston is already wrestling with tight finances, and the fire department has racked up large overtime bills while still remaining short-staffed heading into budget season. The Houston Chronicle has reported the fire department exceeded its overtime budget by tens of millions last fiscal year. According to the Houston Fire Department, roughly 94 stations currently serve about 2.3 million residents across the city.
