City public-safety leaders told the Police & Fire Commission that workload pressures, staffing shortages and deferred maintenance are driving costs and overtime.

Chair reported 1,385 calls for service in October. Fire Chief Joe said EMS calls were 125 in October, down from 146 the previous month, and that in-city EMS response averages about 5 minutes 50 seconds (all-comers about 6 minutes 55 seconds).

Police Chief (S6) said staffing shortages have required mandatory overtime and that 13 shift openings were posted for December. On budget questions about supplies, the police chief said the department made several one-time purchases for the evidence tech team and that some expenses were miscoded at City Hall into the supplies line; he said staff are working to reallocate amounts to the intended budget lines.

Fire Chief Joe described vehicle-repair costs on October invoices, notably substantial work on Engine 465 including transmission and pump repairs and other deferred maintenance identified during inspections. He said some repairs were prioritized now to avoid larger costs later and that staff at City Hall are aware and coordinating funding.

Chief Joe also updated the commission on the new public-safety building, reporting that the apparatus bay roof is nearly finished, curb work is completed, initial asphalt will be placed before winter, interior metal-stud work is under way and the project is likely to be enclosed by mid-December. He said the project is reportedly ahead of schedule and under budget.

Recognition and routine business: the commission approved the Oct. 13 meeting minutes and recognized Officer Tony Vitella for 10 years of service. The next commission meeting is scheduled for Dec. 8.

No formal budget reallocation vote or capital-approval action was recorded during the meeting; chiefs reported ongoing coordination with City Hall on fund coding and deferred-maintenance prioritization.