Glen Alpine weighs fire department budget, prioritizing daytime coverage

Glen Alpine’s fire department operates on a roughly $170,000 budget, but only about a quarter of that funding comes from dedicated fire tax revenue.

The gap is forcing town leaders to confront a growing question: how long can the current model hold?

Mayor Kevin Herron said the department receives around $45,000 annually from Burke County’s rural fire tax district, with the remaining costs covered through the town’s general fund.

The discussion came during a workshop on the fire department’s proposed budget, where aldermen reviewed spending requests, staffing needs, and rising equipment costs.

The rise in costs for fire service is being felt everywhere, Fire Chief Adam Marlowe said, acknowledging that the costs for turnout gear, truck repairs, and required software systems have put a strain on the town’s wallet, but that to have a working fire department, those purchases can’t be sacrificed.

“In the fire service, everything’s double and triple the price of what it used to be,” Marlowe said. “Just for instance, for a set of turnout gear back then, you probably got it for $1,000 for a full set of everything. Now, it’s $1,000 for just the pants.”

Marlowe also pointed to the fire department’s struggle to answer calls during the day as volunteer staff work full-time jobs or work rotating shifts and sleep during the day.

“My biggest issue here is personnel during the daytime,” Marlowe said. “We’re getting a lot of calls that are not answered because we don’t have anybody around. That’s what I’ve tried to get for the past four years.”

He requested that the board consider a new full-time position that offers $39,000 as a base pay. The new firefighter would be based at Town Hall, responding to calls from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and assist with some of Town Administrator Crystal Carswell’s duties when she’s out of office.

Currently, Marlowe said he has no employees working, though there are funds for part-time staff to alternate. A full-time employee would automatically double the amount of firefighting presence, Mayor Pro Tempore Luke Boone said.

The board agreed to work on recruiting a full-time employee before the new fiscal year starts, and the town would eliminate funding for the part-time employees.

CHIEF SALARY RAISE

Marlowe asked the board to increase his annual compensation from $7,000 to $10,000, noting he did not request an increase the previous year. Though he’s a part-time employee, board members pointed to his workload and service to the town as a reason to consider a bump in pay.

Alderwoman Sheila Perkins pointed to Marlowe’s leadership in securing grants for the town, including a $99,000 grant he got last year for a new truck. Board members decided to keep Marlowe’s pay the same, but noted they would revisit the request at a later date.

CONCERNS OVER LONG-TERM PLANNING

Some aldermen questioned whether the town can continue to absorb growing fire department costs without a larger long-term plan.

“I think with every department, we need some sort of plan in place and not just start out with just ‘here we go,’” Perkins said. “I think we’ve done that historically, and it’s not been beneficial to us as a town.”

Board members discussed the need for future budgeting strategies for not just the fire department, but other departments like the police department and public works. The official town budget will be passed in June, and the new fiscal year won’t begin until July 1.