In the wake of school shootings and scares across the nation, Salem City Council has earmarked funds to hire two more School Resource Officers to help protect Salem children and school personnel. That will make it possible for each school to have an officer during the school year.

Council also concurred with Fire Chief John Prillaman’s plan first steps to phase out part-time firefighter jobs by using funds for six full-time firefighters.

Both sets of public safety/first responder jobs are in the $78.01-million city budget proposed for fiscal year 2018-19.

Council discussed the SRO need at an earlier budget work session in April before learning from Salem City Manager Kevin Boggess at the final budget session May 3 that the line item is definitely included in the revised proposed budget.

Salem currently has four SROs: one each at Salem High School and Andrew Lewis Middle School, and two more who spread their time among the city’s four elementary schools.

In answer to questions from Salem City Councilman James Martin and other council members, Finance Director Rosie Jordan explained that SROs are “truly police officers who do patrol officer work and who work during the summers and nights,” when school is not in session.

“They stay SROs for three to five years,” Jordan said, at the preference of Chief Mike Crawley, in order to keep their police skills up. The two new positions are entry-level officers as far as pay, at a total cost for the two, including benefits will be $117,493.

During the school year, School Resource Officers teach Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) to students, show a law enforcement presence in the schools especially in times of emergencies, get to know students, and are available for students to go to with safety concerns.

To provide the funds, Chief Crawley asked for one frozen police officer position to be unfrozen, Jordan said, and other money will come from the general fund which Boggess said reflects the best economic situation in recent years.

City Manager Boggess explained to councilmembers that making part-time firefighters full-time employees “would cost more the first year because of training – a couple hundred extra dollars the first year” but only an additional $50,000 – $60,000 per year.

“Chief Prillaman believes this will give better control and higher level emergency service,” Boggess said. Part-time firefighters have other jobs and are sometimes not available to work shifts for Salem Fire & Emergency Medical Services, Jordan explained.

“Eventually the idea will be to have no part-time firefighters,” Jordan confirmed.

Also, in order to provide better coverage during active fires, having full-time firefighters will make it possible “to have two in, two out on fire scenes,” Boggess said. In order for two firefighters to enter a blazing structure to do a rescue scene interior attack at a fire, two others have to be standing by outside to rescue those firefighters, he explained.

Other recent changes to the proposed 2018-19 budget were:

• Essentially level funding for requests by community service agencies, at a total of $200,527.

Initially, council discussed a proposed $77.6-million budget. The Finance Department provided a proposed larger dollar amount “tweaked budget” after personal property was billed, and salary adjustments were spread after a recent pay study the city commissioned.

A $5 million bond issue which would include expected expenditures for:

• updating public safety radio systems, at an estimated cost of $2.6-million;
• a rear-loading garbage truck, at $230,000;
• replacing Spartan Field’s turf at a cost of $506,019;
• lighting upgrades to Oakey’s Field, at $315,000.
• A new barrel roof for the Salem Civic Center, at $265,000.
• a dump truck to use for salt, snow and plowing, at a cost of $155,000;
• Civic Center field lighting upgrades, at $141,750;
• Replacing the mobile stage used at various parks and recreation events such as Salem After Five, at $115,000.

The Salem city budget for 2018-19 is due to be adopted by the end of May after an initial public hearing on May 14. No tax increase is proposed.