Fire Chief, City Council Member Differ On How Many Department Vacancies

(Des Moines, IA) Des Moines Fire Chief John Tekippe says his department has 13 vacancies currently.  A member of the City Council puts the number closer to 50.  Councilmember Joe Gatto says that’s why he ran for the office.  The chief says he has 17 people training at the Firefighter Academy and he says he is confident there will be enough firefighters to fill all vacancies.  Gatto is worried about the new fire station opening this fall.  He says the city doesn’t have the staffing to fill all of the positions.  Tekippe says he is confident all staffing needs will be met, calling it an issue of managing resources.