Page 32 - Hurst FY19 Approved Budget

the largest portion of the workforce and personnel expenses. The city is strongly
committed to hiring and retaining excellent police and fire personnel.

Police departments nationwide are facing increasingly more difficult work
environment. Hurst prides itself on supporting its nationally accredited law
enforcement agency that provides exceptional 24-hour response to the needs of
the community. The department must adhere to several principals and internal
policies to receive its accreditation, and there are many agencies in Hurst’s region
that do not earn similar accreditation. Additionally, the City of Hurst requires a
minimum of 60 collegiate hours for entry-level officers; all officers must complete
an accredited Police Officer academy. Numerous hours of ongoing training
are completed by all officers. The city’s Police Chief and Assistant Chief deploy
programs to support courteous community policing, while being prepared with
equipment and through training for the most difficult of circumstances. The City of
Hurst will continue to provide the resources necessary to assist our police officers
in providing a service that has become increasingly more difficult.

The Fire service maintains its strong efforts in fire prevention, fire inspection, fire
suppression, and advanced life support transport, also providing exceptional 24-
hour response to community needs. The Fire department provides progressive
medical support to the community under the guidance of a medical director. All
entry Firefighters are required to be certified or licensed as a Paramedic further
supporting the department’s commitment to service. The fire service participates
with area medical facilities to provide state-of-the-art care for all types of emergency
medical calls including STEMI and stroke care. In order to continue to support
wages in the Fire Department and ensure 24-hour coverage, the Council approved
a $180,000 increase in overtime for the department. This budgetary decision will
help the city continue to provide premium services while avoiding additional long-
term costs associated with adding personnel.

Financial risk is closely examined during the city’s annual Multi-Year Financial
Overview and Strategic Planning Process. A City Council fiscal management action
plan is to be proactive in risk detection and reduction. The city has formalized
recurring internal audit strategies as objectives of that plan. The city also entered
into a team-based internal audit approach by capitalizing on the expertise of an
independent and objective outside party as well as the professional skill of staff
members within the Fiscal Services Department. For several years, a comprehensive
data analysis of accounts payable, purchasing card activity, and payroll has been
prepared and this process will continue as part of this program. The budget also
includes funding for additional internal audit projects as deemed necessary
throughout the year.

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