By Gene Davis

Friday, 18 November 2011

LEANDER — Leander Fire Department could be adding more firefighters and staff under a master plan approved by Leander City Council on Nov. 17.

The Leander Fire Department Master Plan and Guide states that funding for additional fire department positions will be requested through the 2014–15 budget year. The additional staff is necessary to meet Leander’s growing population and needs, according to the document.

“The next couple of years will bring increasing demands on the fire department for services. The current level of available resources in the fire department will not be able to meet all those demands,” the document reads.

The more than 10 additional positions that will be requested through the 2014–15 budget year include lieutenants, firefighters, an emergency management coordinator and a administrative clerk. The additional staff would give the eastern part of Leander a full-time fire and medical response unit.

The master plan says Leander has a disproportionately small fire department staff compared to similar-sized Texas cities.

“After the comparison, we confirmed that the City of Leander is currently understaffed for our current call volume, but with this plan would be able to meet the median staffing level that is necessary without a huge economic impact to the citizens,” the document states.

The master plan also lays out a strategy for replacing existing fire department equipment and acquiring land that could house future fire stations. The master plan will be updated and brought to the council every year for approval.

“This gives us a longterm planning process similar to what we’ve done with parks and roadways, helping to build and tie into the overall master plan for the community,” Leander Fire Chief Bill Gardner said.

Read the master plan here.