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Fire District 5 says budget shortfall prompted staff cuts, expects recovery plan within 60 days
Summary
Fire District 5 officials told the Talent City Council that revenue overestimates and non‑renewing grants left the district with short‑term debt and an ongoing plan to restore sustainable staffing; the chief said eight grant‑funded positions were eliminated and options for consolidation or new revenue will be considered in the coming months.
Fire District 5 Chief Mike Hessie told the Talent City Council on March 19 that the district has moved into a period of fiscal recovery after multiyear revenue overestimates and reliance on nonrenewing grants left it carrying short‑term debt.
Hessie said the district recently eliminated eight positions that had been funded by a nonrenewing SAFER grant and is returning to a pre‑2020 staffing model (two personnel per engine at three stations) while it works to reconsolidate debt and rebuild a sustainable service level.
The chief presented operational and financial figures from the district’s recent year: the district covered roughly 130 square miles and about 27,000 residents; it answered about 3,028 calls last year (an average of about 8.3 calls per day), including approximately 1,780 emergency medical…
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