Fire, police departments present 2018 budgets

Budget presentations by Cheney's fire and police department chiefs at the Nov. 28 City Council meeting can be summed up in one word - more. More calls, more requirements and more needs for personnel and equipment.

Fire department

New Fire Chief Tom Jenkins told the council that call volumes are on track to increase 7 percent from last year's total of 1,461, which was one shy of the record set in 2015. Through October, the department had responded to 1,382 calls, and Jenkins projects the year-end total should be around 1,480.

Those 2016 totals averaged four calls per day, and Jenkins estimates...