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Fire Rescue's $73.9M tentative budget includes SAFER grant hires; leaders emphasize training and readiness
Summary
Fire Rescue presented a tentative FY26 budget of $73.9 million that includes SAFER grant‑funded firefighter positions, a request to convert a temporary logistics role to full time, and ongoing plans for a training facility; commissioners raised questions about rising personnel costs and ambulance revenue.
Martin County Fire Rescue presented a tentative fiscal 2026 budget of $73,900,000, an 11.44% increase from FY25, and highlighted a mix of federally funded hires and local investments in training and logistics. Chief Chad Chanchully and administrator Matt Resch told the board the most significant driver visible in the FY26 request is a FEMA SAFER grant that will fund 18 firefighter positions at 100% in FY26 and will continue through FY28.
Nut graf: The SAFER grant partially offsets personnel costs — Resch said the current SAFER award represents approximately $1,650,000 in FY26 (about 2.5% of the department's increase) and will total $5.9 million through FY28 — but commissioners probed pay, retention and…
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