The Fayette County Commission decided to break with the past last week as the board approved 24 new positions for the upcoming year.

Commissioners explained that 17 of the new positions were for public safety with both the Sheriff’s Department and marshals’ department each getting two new positions. The sheriff gained two record clerks, while the marshals gained two patrol officers.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services gained seven new firefighters, which department head Jack Krakeel said were sorely needed.

“Sixty-four percent of our department has less than five years experience. We have a very inexperienced workforce,” Krakeel said.

The extra staffing will help support the two new Quint firetrucks, which will add an aerial support effort. Krakeel said the Quints will allow the department to reach more than 60 feet in the air, while the current capability with a ladder is 25-30 feet.

“It takes six people to carry that ladder,” Krakeel added.

The County Commission also supported the Juvenile Court request to add one court clerk. Judge Tarey Schell made the request, citing the increase in population, the number of indigent cases and the number of total cases and the changing protocols within the juvenile system that has led to a doubling of required paperwork since 2002. Not unremarkable in the increasing number of cases, Schell said, is the presence of methamphetamine.

“We have an epidemic of meth,” Schell said. “And it’s being used by parents and even grandparents and children.”

The solicitor, the prosecutor for state court, requested and was approved for the addition of one investigator, with funding provided by court-imposed fine money. Justification for the position was based on significant increases in the number of cases the office has experienced during the past year.

Among others, Solicitor Jamie Inagawa cited a 34 percent increase in traffic cases, a 59 percent in ordinance cases and a 73 percent increase in bench trials.

Among other county departments, Information Systems was approved for a systems analyst and an informations systems technician and the Tax Assessor was approved for one appraiser 3 position. Probate Court was approved for a part-time court clerk 1. The Finance Department was approved for one inventory clerk but denied an accounting technician. A request by Purchasing resulted in the approval of one contract administrator and the denial of a senior buyer. — John Munford and Ben Nelms contributed reporting on this story.