Laconia fire chief details vehicle purchases, community paramedic grant and mental‑health needs in budget presentation

The Laconia City Council received the Fire Department’s fiscal 2026 budget presentation Tuesday night, where the department outlined planned apparatus purchases, a federally funded community paramedic program and internal needs including training and mental‑health supports.

The presentation, given by the fire department chief, said two ambulances, an engine and a ladder truck are on order, with the ambulances expected in March 2026 and the engine and ladder truck arriving in October and November 2025 respectively. The chief said the new apparatus will replace a 2007 and a 2012 ambulance, a 1991 engine and a 1998 ladder truck.

Why it matters: the department said updated vehicles and training capacity are intended to sustain emergency response across roughly 4,600 annual incidents and to support expanded services such as the new mobile integrated health program.

The chief described the mobile integrated health program — a community paramedic model operated in partnership with Partnership for Public Health — and said…