The Oak Harbor Fire Department got its first new position in 19 years, but it didn’t come without a little fireworks.

Chief Ray Merrill presented his request for a new lieutenant position in the fire department during a council workshop and a subsequent council meeting, which was July 5. Response from council members ranged from surprise that the position wasn’t created long ago to skepticism about the need to create the permanent position before the upcoming budget process.

Merrill came armed with facts and figures.

The last time the fire department got an increase in staff was in 1997, he explained; the department currently has 10 career positions. Since that time, the number of responses to alarms increased by 32 percent, commercial occupancy inspections increased 33 percent, the city population increased 10.5 percent and land within city limits increased by 0.75 miles.

The low staffing means the department doesn’t meet National Fire Protection Association Standards, which requires a minimum engine-company staffing of four, he added.

The position would cost about $50,000 for the rest of the year and about twice that next year.

City Administrator Doug Merriman said the position for this year could be paid for with fund balance, but the ongoing cost would have to be figured out during the budget process.

Both Councilman Rick Almberg and Joel Servatius said they agreed that the need was real, but they suggested that the position should be temporary. They emphasized that the city’s budget process was coming up in the next couple of months; they said they would be in a better position to make decisions about spending priorities after hearing from all the departments and looking over the numbers.

“I would much rather buy a car when I know I have the money to pay for it,” Almberg said.

Servatius questioned whether it was fair to the other city departments for the fire department to get a new position — “a first run” at the budget — outside the regular budget process. He suggested, as an example, that the police department may also have a staffing need.

“It’s a question of fairness and sustainability,” he said in an interview after the meeting.

Councilwoman Tara Hizon and Councilman Jim Campbell said the need for the new position was urgent and that not making the position permanent was just delaying the inevitable.

Hizon had more pointed words during the workshop, saying that the situation is at “critical mass” and it’s a problem the council has known about for 10 years. She questioned some of the council’s spending priorities or the thought that the fire department may have to make sacrifices to fund the new position.

“It’s not their fault they don’t have enough staff, it’s ours,” she said. “And this council did not bat an eyelash at a six-figure-a-year economic development position.”

“But when it comes to public safety,” she added, “we don’t want to spend the money. That makes no sense to me. I think it’s a blatant disregard for public safety.”

Councilman Danny Paggao said he supported the new position because he was concerned about the “graying” of the fire department and said the department needs to plan for impending retirements. Merrill said earlier that half of the staff will be eligible to retire in the next 10 years.

In the end, council approved the creation of the new position on a 5-1 vote. Almberg voted against it; Councilwoman Beth Munns was absent.

Servatius said afterward that it was clear the majority of the council was going to approve the item, so he joined them.

Servatius said he never doubted the staffing need; he just had concerns about evenhandedness and process.