St. Louis Fire Department warns staffing, equipment gaps as FY26 budget trimmed

St. Louis — St. Louis Fire Department Chief Jackerson told the Board of Aldermen's Budget and Public Employees Committee on May 8 that the department’s FY26 request was cut and those reductions hit personnel-related and equipment line items.

"The Saint Louis Fire Department is committed to the preservation of life property and the environment by effectively and efficiently meeting with the emerging public safety and welfare needs of our diverse community," Chief Jackerson said when he opened the department’s presentation.

The fire department requested $75,154,741 for fiscal year 2026; the proposed budget returned to the committee showed roughly $71.0 million. Chief Jackerson said most of the request overage is personnel-related and that the department’s workload remains large: he said the department logs about "59,000 incidents" and "on an average, the fire department handles about a hundred thousand responses per year," while EMS handles about 56,000 emergency responses.

Why this matters: the department says EMS demand and a national paramedic shortage are pressing. Chief Jackerson said the department currently staffs 12 ambulances and would like to increase that number, describing EMS personnel as "overworked." He reported a paramedic class of 14 students due to graduate in two weeks and said the department plans additional recruit classes, but noted ongoing shortfalls at officer ranks because promotions have been frozen by litigation.

Key budget cuts and program notes

- Protective clothing: Chief Jackerson told the committee the protective-clothing line item (listed on department materials at $521,518) was reduced by $175,000. He said the department spends about $10,000 per recruit to outfit personal protective equipment and SCBAs, and emphasized that firefighters each carry two full sets of turnout gear because "of all the cancer that's been involved with the firefighters recently." The chief warned the cut would complicate outfitting incoming recruits.

- Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT): The department expects about $7,926,000 from GEMT — a Medicaid reimbursement program — and described the funding as important to pay for training, equipment and EMS operations. "It’s basically a Medicaid reimbursement," Chief Jackerson said.

- Marine operations: the river- and marine-equipment line tied to Riverfront Gaming remained about $30,000 annually, the chief said, and he described that as far short of need. He gave the example of the department’s largest fireboat, Marine Unit 6 (Stan Musio), which is in dry dock for engine repairs with an estimated bill of about $80,000.

- Software and data systems: the department requested a new enterprise package (IA ProSuite implementation) to integrate incident reporting, equipment maintenance and professional standards work; that line was reduced by about $30,000 in the proposed budget. Chief Jackerson said the software would help the department coordinate dispatch, complaints, budgets and hotspot analysis.

- Vacancies and promotions: the chief said the department’s table of organization is for 586 firefighters plus medics, dispatchers and support staff, but that officer-level vacancies remain high after a promotions freeze imposed as part of a court-related settlement and subsequent administrative decisions. He described the freeze as "in court right now" and said it has disrupted continuity and the department’s ability to promote deputy chiefs, battalion chiefs and captains.

Operational pressures and overtime

Committee members pressed the chief on how overtime and leave policies affect operations. Chief Jackerson called the city’s additional six weeks of paid family medical leave "devastating" to overtime budgets for 24-hour firefighters and offered department-level data: "We average 3,687 hours per month of paid family medical leave ... That's five firefighters every day they call in using this additional benefit. That's five overtime every day." He said the department is discussing changing the rule so the extra weeks would be available only after employees exhaust accrued leave.

Recruitment, training and equipment lifecycle

The chief described active recruitment and training: multiple academy classes are in progress or planned, with an 18‑week initial academy plus additional training and EMT certification before firefighters become full city employees. He also discussed local paramedic partnerships, mentioning Forest Park Community College and an in-department paramedic program started with outside partners.

He said fleet funding is being staggered and listed vehicles on order: multiple pumpers, hook-and-ladders and 10 ambulances expected to begin delivery starting in June. The chief also flagged maintenance capacity: the department relies on the city’s equipment services and noted a shortage of fleet mechanics has left the reserve fleet thin.

Drug testing and hiring

Chief Jackerson said the department is reexamining its drug-testing policy for cannabis at hiring, noting other local employers have removed THC from initial screens. He described a practice change proposal: remove THC from the initial pre-employment drug screen but maintain strict testing standards for employees once on the job.

Questions and next steps

Board members asked the chief for more granular figures and the fire department offered to deliver the full annual report for FY25 to committee members within about a week. Chief Jackerson also said the department will invite aldermen to a fire training day at the department’s training facility at Jefferson and Cass so elected officials can see operations and training firsthand.

Ending

Committee members voiced support for outfitting recruits and for protecting EMS capacity, and they requested the department’s detailed annual report and follow-up on the protective-clothing shortfall and GEMT assumptions. Chief Jackerson said the report would be available to the committee soon and reiterated the department’s staffing and equipment priorities.