Fort Worth\u2019s budget isn\u2019t finalized until City Council approves it in a vote expected Sept. 16.<\/p>\n
Historically, when someone called 911 in Fort Worth, a public safety communicator from the police department answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the situation needed the fire department or emergency medical services, they transferred the call to the fire department\u2019s fire alarm office<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Each transfer meant a delay in responding to an emergency. This prompted city officials to streamline the process by creating the new department<\/a>, Aubry Insco, who became the city\u2019s first 911 communications administrator in November, said in a May interview.<\/p>\n Eventually, the Emergency Management & Communications Department will house police, fire and emergency medical services call takers. The three teams moved to the same dispatch system in July.<\/p>\n Where the money goes<\/p>\n About $19.2 million of the new department\u2019s budget will pay for the salaries of 175 employees. The money will be reallocated from the police department, where those positions were previously.<\/p>\n An estimated $870,868 will fund seven new positions that will move emergency management functions to the department, according to the budget book. Six of those are grant-funded.<\/p>\n Another $513,282 will pay for the department\u2019s two administrators\u2019 salaries. Insco and Sonny Saxton, director of emergency communications and management, were previously in the city manager\u2019s office.<\/p>\n One administrative support position will be funded at $85,061. Another $149,352 will go to helping establish the new department.<\/p>\n Total expenses for the new department:<\/p>\n Salary and benefits: $20,268,629<\/p>\n General operation and maintenance: $455,983<\/p>\n The department\u2019s future<\/p>\n The public safety and fire teams will stay separate for at least the next couple of years.<\/p>\n Fort Worth officials have the long-term goal of merging them in the Zipper Building \u2014 a city office building in downtown that features a large zipper mural \u2014 if voters approve the building\u2019s renovation in the 2026 bond, Fire Chief Jim Davis said during a Public Safety Commission meeting June 10.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s budget plan notes that Fort Worth\u2019s rapid growth \u2014 and the higher 911 call volumes it generates \u2014 will require more investment in the emergency management infrastructure. The city recently reached 1 million residents, making it the 11th largest in the nation.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the rise in extreme weather events, public health crises and large-scale emergencies, Fort Worth must continue to strengthen its emergency management capabilities,\u201d the document reads. \u201cThis includes expanded planning, response coordination and community preparedness efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n Emergency management also heavily depends on federal grants, according to the budget proposal, so any changes to those could significantly impact the city\u2019s emergency services or shift costs to the local level.<\/p>\n Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @shawlings601<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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