High gas prices take toll on budgets of Bay's first responders. How they're being frugal.

BAY COUNTY — Gas prices finally are dropping slightly, but local first responders say they still might need to double the funding they asked for last year.

As the price of gas has risen, so has the need for their services.

Those in charge say they're being cautious about spending, so they haven't had to eliminate any services.

Some law enforcement officers are being told not to leave their cruisers idling, while such things as new office chairs and laptops are being scratched.

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According to AAA on Monday, gas prices in Bay County are among the lowest in the state with Bay stations averaging $4.54 per gallon. The highest were in Monroe County, home of the Florida Keys, at $4.91 with the nation's average listed at $4.89. In June 2021, the average price of gas in Florida was $2.96 per gallon, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Florida saw the largest weekly decrease in the nation, dropping about 15 cents per gallon, AAA's web site showed Monday. The site attributed the drop in price on "Economic fears of a potential global recession leading to less demand for oil," AAA officials reported.

Some local law enforcement agencies buy their gas wholesale. For example, the Bay County Sheriff's Office maintains its own pumps while the Panama City Police Department gets gas wholesale from the city yard.

That helps, but even those departments are being squeezed.

Ruth Corley, public information officer for Sheriff Tommy Ford, said the sheriff's office is "in a good position despite being on track to spend double" the budgeted amount of money for fuel by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.

"But we're not in a dire situation and the sheriff is monitoring the situation very closely," she said. "We are diligent to manage the money that we do spend in the most economical way possible. We always do that."

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Ford has implemented a freeze on non-essential purchases, such as a new office chair or laptop, deputies who are required to leave for out-of-town training are now required to carpool and deputies are directed not to leave their cruisers idling, she said. BCSO maintains a fleet of about 300 vehicles.

But the department still must leave K-9 cruisers idling while the dogs are inside and, Corley said, "We're still buying ammo. We have to train." Law enforcement officers are required by law to meet set training standards.

"Nothing has affected our response capabilities and we will do everything we can to keep those intact," Corley said. "So if they call for us, we're going to come."

EMS being frugal

Service must continue despite the price hike, so first responders are finding ways to adjust.

"The rising cost of fuel has been a burden across our operations. While obviously the cost of running calls goes up with the cost of fuel, anything — operational supplies, for example — that’s delivered via trucks is costing more now too, because that additional expense is factored into the cost of the items," said Brad Monroe, Bay County chief of emergency services.

Monroe said his agency plans to cut back and postpone major purchases, such as vehicles. Still, he is asking for an increase in the fuel budget for next year.

"This year for EMS we budgeted $140,000 for fuel, and that has been bumped up to $200,000 for the upcoming budget year," he said.

The trucks his department uses don't get the greatest gas mileage. And a few are very old — the county's oldest fire truck in service is a 1986 ladder truck and a 1986 pumper truck, both of which are listed as reserves.

Monroe said the county's fire trucks get 8 to 10 mpg and ambulances get 10 to 12 mpg, and that EMS responds to an average of 22,000 calls each year with an average daily hospital-transport rate of 100.

Still, he said, "We have not pulled any vehicles off the road due to gas prices."

Cost of doing business is rising, so is the need

Emergency Medical Services saw a 16.7% increase from 8,765 calls in 2020 to 10,237 calls in 2021 in fire department-related services, and a 15.25% increase in calls for service from EMS. In 2020, EMS responded to 30,100 calls and in 2021, 34,693.

The number of calls to which BCSO responded were down, but only slightly. In 2020, deputies' calls for service was 93,194. In 2021, the number was 92,931, a 0.28% reduction. From Jan. 1 of this year through Monday, the count was at 43,991 calls for service.

"We're still out there doing our job," said Lt. Andy Husar, emergency response director for the sheriff's office.

Budgeting for the increase

While not every department saw a rise in calls for help, officials say the higher gas prices still call for an increase in the next budget allocation.

The Panama City Police Department saw a 4.86% decrease in calls for service, falling from 68,808 in 2020 to 65,461, according to figures provided by the city police department.

Caitlin Lawrence, the city's public information officer, said the city uses U.S. Energy Administration data "to determine budget allocations for each department utilizing city vehicles." Fuel for this year's budget, which ends with the fiscal year on Sept. 30, was factored at $2.75 per gallon.

Through June 1, the city had spent $210,671 of its allocated $278,250 fuel budget for police and $36,225 of the budgeted amount of $54,000 for the fire department, she said.

"We are currently working through the budget process for fiscal year 2023 and will be making adjustments as needed until the City Commission votes to adopt the budget in late September," she said.

Ken McVay, the police department's media specialist, said officers continue to answer all calls for service.

"Currently, we are managing the rising cost of fuel without the extreme measures of turning vehicles off, etc. Keeping the health and safety of our officers in mind, we are conducting business as usual," he said.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Gas prices take toll on police, fire departments in Bay County