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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 growing operational needs, including a long‑standing request for a permanent training facility.
Supporting detail: Fire Rescue asked to convert one temporary logistics support position to a full‑time logistics coordinator to manage increasingly complex procurement, inventory and disaster supply operations at an estimated additional cost of about $51,000. The department also proposed modest operating increases (Resch said operating budget increases represent approximately $318,000 or 0.48% of the total budget change) and emphasized that the department's MSTU (municipal service taxing unit) millage rate remains comparable to prior years.
Ambulance revenue and staffing context: Commissioners asked about ambulance user fees after seeing apparent variability in the performance measures table. Resch explained the FY24 actual ambulance revenue was about $7.1 million; FY25 collections through June were $5.6 million and, based on monthly averages, he expected FY25 collections to reach roughly $7.4 million by fiscal year end. Commissioners also discussed long‑term recruitment and retention amid competing markets; the chief said regional pay differentials were a real factor and emphasized operational readiness during major incidents.
Training and readiness: Fire Rescue leaders reiterated the long‑term need for a consolidated training facility and described operational readiness challenges during large incidents. The chief said a single industrial incident recently required 44 firefighters for several hours — more than half a typical shift — and underlined the importance of training in controlled environments to improve outcomes.
Board action: Commissioners voted to tentatively approve the fire rescue budget 4‑1 with Commissioner Vargas dissenting. Staff will present final budget documents at the public hearings; the SAFER grant funds and the logistics position conversion were included as part of the tentative approval.
Ending: Fire Rescue officials said they will continue to pursue grant funding and report back on training‑facility options and the logistical staffing conversion ahead of the final budget adoption.
