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Fire chief outlines budget, growing calls and FireMed expansion; department projects revenue gains
Summary
Fire Chief Eric McCoy presented a department overview showing rising call volumes and revenue; staff outlined plans to expand FireMed subscriptions, pursue lifeguard tower advertising, renegotiate EMS supply contracts and improve billing for inspections and citations
Fire Chief Eric McCoy presented the Huntington Beach Fire Department’s services and budget overview, highlighting a decade‑plus rise in call volume and recent gains in grant and fee revenue.
Chief McCoy said the department’s adopted general fund allocation for 2024–25 is a little over $62 million, with personnel accounting for about 81 percent of the department’s budget. He reported a substantial increase in departmental revenues over the last decade — from about $9 million in 2013–14 to roughly $24 million in the most recent year — driven primarily by EMS transport fees, FireMed subscriptions and other service revenues.
Call volume has approximately doubled since the early 2000s. The department ran about 11,600 calls in 2003 and roughly 22,290 calls in 2024, Chief McCoy said; about 18,000 of last year’s calls were medical aids. The chief and staff said the city’s older population—Huntington Beach ranks among the county’s highest for residents age 65 and older—helps explain a large share of the increased emergency responses.
On revenue initiatives the department outlined several near‑term actions: - FireMed expansion: the department plans a subscription outreach effort. FireMed subscription cost remains $60 annually for households (the city offers a reduced $30 rate for qualifying low‑income residents). About 17,000 households are currently enrolled (roughly 20% of an estimated 77,000 households), the chief said. FireMed covers ambulance transport cost exposure for members and is billed annually on the water bill or online. - Lifeguard tower advertising: staff recommended launching a tower ad program with conservative initial revenue estimates of $50,000–$150,000 for the coming year and a target to scale higher if successful. - EMS supply and contract renegotiations: an audit led to renegotiation that Chief McCoy said will reduce EMS supply costs by roughly $125,000. - Central Net (training facility) rent adjustments and other billing improvements, including a planned move to a data‑ticket system to track citations and follow‑up billing more reliably.
Chief McCoy said the department completed more than 14,400 emergency medical transports in the prior year, conducted 3,896 water rescues, and trained roughly 6,000 people in CPR in 2024. The Marine Safety Division reported 112,634 preventative actions and a junior‑lifeguard program of about 1,400 youth.
Council members thanked the fire leadership for the presentation and asked several operational questions about ambulance capacity, mutual aid and the $60 FireMed subscription. Staff said the city typically runs eight ambulances in service each day, supplemented by mutual aid when necessary. Council members suggested outreach strategies for older residents who may not use social media.
No formal vote was required; councilmembers praised the department’s efficiency and noted the department’s ISO class‑1 rating and its implications for local insurance rates.
