Tulsa city councilors toy with the idea of not building a new fire station in east Tulsa.
Councilors on the public safety task force will look at sharing Broken Arrow’s station nearby. Tulsa Fire Chief Ray Driskell said the proposed station is paid for, and sharing is not a permanent solution.
"It's not going to take care of some of these issues that we have north of 21st Street, the Cherokee casino and some of the folks in that area," Driskell said. "So I don't want to lose that fire station out there, but I'm certainly open to listen to see what ideas we can come [up with] on a temporary basis."
Insurance ratings of city fire coverage have that area of east Tulsa at nine on a scale where 10 is worst. Most of the rest of Tulsa is at a three. Driskell said $3 million in general obligation bonds has already been set aside for the new station.
Fire department brass attended today's meeting to present their proposed use of funds to the task force. They told the public safety task force they want around $9 million.
The fire department is looking to replace 34 firefighters lost to attrition and budget shortfalls. That will cost $2.6 million a year. Deputy Chief Andy Teeter said they also need some capital funding.
"The first three years we'd devote to our new training center up on the Tulsa Community College north campus, and that part of it is roughly $6.6 million," Teeter said.
Teeter told city councilors more firefighters means trucks will be staffed by four firefighters rather than three more often, which studies say cuts injury risk and the time needed to carry out tasks.
