Kansas has fallen on economic hard times, and even local emergency services are feeling the crunch.

“If the economy gets much worse services will have to be cut,” Douglas County Sheriff Rick Trapp said. “We haven’t had to tighten down that much yet. We’re not in dire straights yet.”

If emergency service chiefs have to get out the paring knives in the future they won’t have many good choices to whack away at, they said.

Generally, the largest portions of the budgets are salaries.

At the Lawrence Police Department, purchases of what Police Chief Ron Olin considers critical items are smaller expenses in the overall budget scheme, he said. His department’s budget request for 2004 reached $10.67 million.

“To stop the purchases of critical projects, such as mobile data computers, new automobiles — all those are smaller in dollar amounts,” he said.

The police department is in the process of conducting a manpower study to determine if it has enough officers for what its needs will be in the future as the city grows, Olin said. Currently the department’s 135officers are adequate to get the job done, Olin said.

The police department has nearly 170 employees including civilians and officers.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical has cut back drastically on out-of-town travel expenses to conferences and other meetings, Deputy Chief Mark Bradford said.

Other budget line items the department would have to scrutinize if more cutbacks become necessary would include maintenance, and contractual services with firms providing equipment such as air life packs. Contracts might have to be renegotiated, Bradford said.

“We haven’t added any new equipment for three or four years,” Bradford said.

A few years ago the department did receive the authorization for a new pumper truck and an ambulance. Smaller pieces of equipment, primarily for the hazardous materials unit, have been obtained through federal grants in the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

Federal grants of varying amounts have helped all emergency services pay for some equipment and personnel in recent years.

Fire & Medical also would like to increase its ladder truck crew, which currently has two firefighters, Bradford said. National standards generally recommend a minimum crew of four, he said.

In addition, the department is going ahead with planning for a fifth fire station, although the actual construction phase will have to be approved later.

Fire & Medical, which has an operating budget of $9.5 million and 123 civilian and firefighter employees, is at its minimum staffing, Bradford said.

“It would be difficult to fight two major structure fires simultaneously if we’re out on other calls, medical or other,” Bradford said.

Staffing is at a minimum level at the sheriff’s office as well, Trapp said.

“We’re so tight right now, we don’t want to lose anybody, especially at the jail,” said Trapp, whose department has about 120 officers and civilian employees.

The sheriff must operate the jail in accordance with federal regulations and case law, Trapp said. About half of his $6.8 million department budget goes to jail operations.

Late this summer gasoline prices jumped dramatically, adding to expenses for all of the departments. Their annual budgeting processes generally allow for fuel price fluctuations, department heads said.

The sheriff’s office has been the recipient of public donations that have helped it pay for and train a new drug and search dog and the officer it works with. The total cost was about $10,000. In addition, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 14, 138 Ala., contributed $1,000 to pay for a bulletproof vest the dog can wear.

“We were very fortunate to receive these donations,” Trapp said. “We didn’t actually go out and solicit these people, they came to us.”

If the economy doesn’t improve and additional budget cuts are required the victims will probably be personnel, department heads said. Employees will have to be laid off.

“If we have three or four bad years, I think you will see some adverse effects,” Olin said. “People are interested in reading about the budget, but when it comes down to police service they want it as soon as they pick up the phone.”

“It’s just not going to be good if it doesn’t improve or if it gets worse,” Trapp said of the economy. “Governing bodies are going to have to decide if they want services cut or if they are going to raise taxes.”