Overnight recovery beds, additional firefighters win approval in Tacoma budget update
Additional firefighters, overnight recovery beds and other public safety efforts are being funded by the city of Tacoma as part of an update to the budget.
The city’s mid-biennium budget modification is required by state law and adjusts the budget with any changes in needs or funding sources. Tacoma’s 2019-20 operating budget modification totaled $46 million.
In the area of public safety, the city dedicated $30,000 to help fund one year of overnight recovery beds as part of Tacoma Fire Department’s Safe Stations program. Located at Fire Station 1 downtown, the program for immediate opioid treatment opened in August for the first time in Washington state. There have been 25 walk-ins and 15 referrals to treatment through the program between July and November of this year.
The beds will be used by “individuals who receive treatment and support by the TFD Cares mobile unit, or those who need to wait 24 hours before starting treatment,” Katie Johnston, city budget officer, said at a study session on Nov. 5.
Fire department spokesman Joe Meinecke said the beds initiative is part of a 2020 pilot to support Safe Stations.
“Depending on demand, the funding could provide an estimated 75-100 overnight recovery beds next year,” Meinecke told The News Tribune in an email.
The beds would be located at local substance-abuse recovery facilities such as Metropolitan Development Council, Recovery Response Center or Nativity House, on a limited basis. The agreements are still being finalized, Meinecke said.
The budget modifications also included $878,000 towards overtime coverage and the hiring four additional cross-shift roving firefighters, or firefighters who can provide extra coverage to any shift. The goal is reduce overtime, Johnston said.
The city also is allocating $60,000 to help hire a Pierce County Opioid Task Force manager and $215,000 for training, supplies and hiring a patient care and quality improvement officer who will oversee Safe Stations and Narcan administration.
Other highlights in public safety include:
▪ $87,000 for a police staffing study
▪ $25,000 for equity-based police recruiting efforts
▪ $1.3 million in overtime coverage to the police department
▪ $458,000 Health CareAuthority Opioid Grant to extend the use of the mobile opioid response unit through September 2020
