Villa Hills City Council approved a resolution authorizing the Crescent Villa Fire Authority to hire full-time staff members at their meeting Wednesday evening.
Villa Hills and Crescent Springs run a joint fire department that serves both locales. Currently, the station operates with a staff of part-time employees and volunteers, but staff retention struggles have prompted the cities to consider solutions to keep the department manned.
In a special meeting earlier this month, Villa Hills City Council examined a draft of the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget, which included allocations to fund the fire department’s full-time hires.
The council also approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Heather Jansen to sign an updated contract for the fire authority to provide fire and emergency medical services from Jan. 1, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2049. The new contract includes modifications that permit the addition of full-time staff members, a power that was barred in the previous contract, according to council member Scott Ringo.
After the council’s unanimous vote on Wednesday to allow the Crescent Villa Fire Authority to install full-time positions, the council must also approve the change.
“At this point no one has objected to anything in the conversation,” Ringo said.
The new fire department structure is set to bring in four full-time medics – enough to fully staff an ambulance at all times – and four full-time firefighters – enough to fully staff a fire engine at all times, according to Villa Hills City Administrator Craig Bohman.
