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West Palm Beach proposes nine new fire positions; SAFER grant for 17 firefighters pending
Summary
The FY26 proposed budget includes nine new positions in Fire Rescue, and staff noted a pending SAFER grant application that would add 17 firefighters if awarded; city staff said a $2.5 million funding gap would be required to absorb 17 hires without grant support.
City Administrator Faye Johnson outlined the fire-rescue component of the FY26 budget, proposing nine new positions for the department and noting that the department has relied on federal SAFER grants in recent years to expand staffing.
Johnson described the nine positions in the proposed budget as a mix of sworn and civilian roles, including three captains, a fire inspector, a lieutenant fire inspector, a lieutenant for a community‑paramedic program, two plan-review coordinators and a computer‑systems analyst. She said most of these positions were requested by the fire chief and are included in the proposed budget; one public-education position was not initially included because funding had been expected from an expiring CDBG‑COVID grant, and staff said they would revisit that position if the grant extension comes through.
Johnson told commissioners the department has applied for a SAFER grant for 17 firefighters and expects to hear award decisions by September. She described two paths if the grant is awarded or denied: if awarded, staff would implement the grant through a budget amendment after the FY26 budget is adopted; if denied, the administration estimated it would need approximately $2,500,000 in recurring budget reductions elsewhere to absorb the 17 positions into the general fund.
The presentation noted past SAFER success: recent SAFER grants helped fully staff Station 8 and contributed to a net increase in firefighter staffing during the FY20–FY25 period. Johnson emphasized that the SAFER grant award timing (expected by September) affects whether the hires are added via amendment or require other budget changes.
Commissioners asked for cost estimates and clarification of funding timing; Johnson said staff will return with options if the SAFER grant outcome requires adjustments.
