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Fire department requests funding for training center, new stations, apparatus and fire‑marshal buildout
Summary
Temple Fire Department presented an extensive capital and staffing plan including replacement engines, a ladder truck, new fire stations, a training tower and a multi‑year buildout of the fire marshal’s office.
Temple — The city’s fire department asked the City Council to include several capital and personnel items in the FY26 budget and to plan for phased work through FY31, including new stations and a broader fire‑prevention office.
Fire leadership outlined multiple items: replacement pumpers already in long lead times, a ladder truck budgeting and intent‑to‑purchase commitments, expansion of the training campus with aircraft‑burn and confined‑space props, and a multi‑year program to staff and equip an expanded fire‑prevention and fire‑marshal office. The department also described the need for tanker apparatus to support rapid growth in areas not served by hydrants and for a second swift‑water rescue boat.
Chiefs said replacement fire apparatus can carry 24–52 month lead times and that the city had secured spots in manufacturers’ queues for some units. The department requested funds for design and construction of Fire Stations 7 and 9 (site locations described), and said the west side of town is experiencing rapidly rising call volumes that justify additional battalion and squad staffing. Fire officials asked that the council consider ordering vehicles early to avoid even longer waits once hiring is complete.
The fire‑marshal office presented a multi‑year staffing plan: two full‑time fire inspectors for FY26, an industrial‑focused inspector and liaison in FY27, and an assistant fire marshal reclassification in FY28, with further growth planned through FY31 to support expanded inspection and investigation workload. Staff explained the need to increase inspection capacity so the department can conduct annual inspections at all businesses (hotels, restaurants, multi‑family housing) and to improve collaboration with planning and permitting systems.
Training assets also were emphasized: the department seeks to expand the training tower, live‑fire props and a draft pit to keep more training available locally rather than sending crews out of town. Officials said those assets are already being used by both fire and police units and by outside jurisdictions that have visited the site.
Ending: Council members acknowledged the multi‑year nature of fire‑capital needs and asked staff to return with detailed cost and phasing options. No appropriation votes were taken at the retreat; the presentation functioned as guidance for FY26 budget planning.
