Fire department plans staffing trade-offs under hiring freeze; legacy pension and workers'comp costs cited
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Summary
The New Orleans Fire Department told the budget committee the department will face reduced daily staffing and has identified legacy pension and workers'compensation costs as drivers of long-term fiscal pressure; it plans to complete a new headquarters move and a fire-station alerting rollout.
Superintendent Roman Nelson told the City Council budget committee on Oct. 15 that the New Orleans Fire Department's 2026 budget reflects a hiring freeze, a reduction in overtime and a projected loss of 29.5 full-time-equivalent positions driven by attrition and personnel reductions.
Nelson said the department is operating under the assumption of a hiring freeze and is planning to manage operations through attrition and other internal adjustments. He said the department's overtime for 2025 totaled about $6.7 million (including airport-reimbursed overtime and EMS-support overtime); the 2026 budget assumes $3.5 million for overtime after reductions.
Why it matters: The department emphasized service continuity and maintaining its Insurance Services Office (ISO) class-1 rating — the top fire-protection rating that affects homeowner insurance costs — while acknowledging that legacy pension liabilities and cancer-related workers'comp claims increase long-term costs.
Key details
- Staffing and operations: The 2026 request reduces 29.5 FTEs and budgets for lower unclassified pay and hiring-freeze savings among classified positions. Nelson said the department averages 35—0 attrition per year and will rely on attrition to meet headcount changes while protecting minimum apparatus staffing.
- Overtime: Nelson said the department spent approximately $6.7 million in overtime in 2025, which includes reimbursable airport overtime and about $1.6—.8 million spent supporting EMS operations; the 2026 budget sets overtime at roughly $3.5 million.
- Legacy costs: Nelson and staff said the primary long-term pressures are pension funding and workers'compensation costs tied to cancer and other occupational exposures; addressing the pension gap will require actuarial options and sustained contributions, while workers'comp exposure reduction is an operational mitigation priority (decontamination protocols, replacement bunker gear when possible).
- Capital and one-time items: The department reported recent receipt of six new pumpers that will be deployed after final outfitting and said the long-awaited City Park Fire headquarters move will consolidate leadership and improve operational efficiency.
Ending: Nelson said the department will continue to pursue cost-control options, maintain its public-safety posture, and work with the administration on funding and pension discussions in the transition to the next administration.