CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Fire Department is hoping the city approves its budget request of over $1 million for 2018.
Fire Station 42, off Albemarle Road, is the city's busiest station and needs to grow, officials said.
A second engine company for Station 42 would require the city to hire 18 firefighters for more than
$551,118.
That would pay for salary and hiring of those firefighters for 2018. It would be $364,543 more for their equipment. There would also be a one-time payment of $600,039 for a new fire truck.
Battalion Chief Rob Cannon said they need the additional firefighters in order to handle all their calls.
"That ripple effect spills throughout the city," he said.
Cannon said between July 2015 and July 2016, firefighters from different stations picked up 825 calls for Station 42.
"Now those companies are out of position, and it may end up impacting response times in other areas as well," Cannon said.
If the budget is approved, those new firefighters would be hired in early 2018. They would start covering that area later that summer.
The Charlotte Fire Department is also asking for $5.6 million in order to build a brand-new fire station off Interstate 77 at Clanton Road. It's an area that is also seeing major growth. If approved, it would take three years for that station to be up and running.
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