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Spalding County chiefs ask commissioners to fund third firefighter per truck, 21 new hires over two years
Summary
Fire chiefs urged the Spalding County Board of Commissioners to raise Fire District staffing from two to three firefighters per apparatus, proposing a two-year plan to add 21 personnel and small tax increase for the fire district; chiefs also sought new supervisory positions and expanded ALS coverage.
Spalding County fire leaders told the Board of Commissioners on April 7 that the county’s FY26 fire budget includes a request to move from two to three firefighters per front-line engine, a change they said would require 21 additional full‑time hires and a modest increase in the fire district tax.
The chiefs said the change would be implemented over two years — 11 hires in FY25/26 and 10 in FY26/27 — to allow for recruiting, training and rotations. The request also includes one additional supervisory position in administration and startup equipment to expand advanced life support (ALS) coverage.
The fire department’s presentation said the department is “fully staffed” on paper but that many recently hired firefighters are in training and not fully operational for several months. Fire Chief Byrd described retention and recruiting progress but said staffing as budgeted does not match operational need. “We went a whole 12‑month period without losing a single firefighter to another department,” Byrd said, adding that a third person on each engine would reduce risk and workload on structure fires.
Commissioner (Gwen) pushed back on the phrase “fully staffed,” saying two people at a station leaves the county vulnerable when one person is absent and highlighting response‑time and continuity concerns. Commissioners and chiefs discussed national NFPA staffing guidance and local call volumes; the chiefs said the county’s apparatus can be depleted quickly when multiple incidents occur.
The chiefs asked that the board consider a small fire‑district tax increase to cover ongoing personnel costs; the county finance representative said the department’s FY26 request overall is lower than last year because of new apparatus purchases, but the staffing increase would still likely require a “very slight” tax increase to fund additional personnel and benefits.
The department also sought funding to expand ALS capabilities, proposing conversion of an existing position to a firefighter‑paramedic per shift and roughly $58,000 in equipment to operate an additional ALS unit 24 hours per day. Chiefs said an on‑scene ALS provider can deliver life‑saving measures sooner than an ambulance with a longer ETA.
Chiefs described a two‑year apparatus replacement planning cycle and noted maintenance costs will fall as new trucks come under warranty, so fleet spending in FY26 is lower than FY25. They invited commissioners to visit the burn building training to see recruits’ and first responders’ workload.
No formal vote was taken; commissioners asked staff to review fund balances and the recruitment timeline and to discuss budget options prior to final FY26 adoption.
