Fire department budget hearing highlights EMS expansion, 30 new positions and outsourced billing

The Wilmington Finance Committee held a budget hearing for the Fire Department in which city budget staff and Fire Chief Kurt Looney outlined a proposed FY 2026 general fund budget that adds EMS operations to fire department responsibilities and increases authorized firefighter strength.

Winkler, the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the proposed FY26 fire general fund budget is roughly $36 million, an increase of about $3 million (8.9%) over the original FY25 budget. He told the committee the single largest new cost is EMS: the city added 30 firefighter positions to support ambulance transport and related EMS operations and budgeted a net additional EMS operating cost of about $1.3 million after projected billing revenue.

Nut graf: the city has moved to provide ambulance transport directly after Trinity Health’s EMS operations became unsustainable; the FY26 budget reflects staffing increases, vehicle and equipment purchases, outsourcing of medical billing and startup costs, and projected insurer revenue that is expected to offset some operating costs.

Major points presented

- Staffing and costs: the budget…