Fire Chief Shepherd told the High Springs City Commission at a budget workshop that the department’s budget will reflect operational shifts after Station 21 opened, planned negotiations with Alachua County, and investments in equipment and training.

“Station 21 opened about 2 weeks ago,” Chief Shepherd said, and the department has seen a spike in calls it would previously have been dispatched to because the closest-unit response sends some calls to the new station. Shepherd said he has a meeting with Chief Thias of Alachua County to begin negotiating the interlocal agreement and is “looking at a couple of different other means to grab money from that contract.”

Shepherd said several revenue lines will change because the city now controls fire inspections and plans review that previously went to the county; those fees will come into the city’s fire department. He also summarized a recently completed fire-assessment study and said he can now increase the maximum total revenue collectible under the assessment. He said he expects to present proposed assessment adjustments at the commission’s second meeting in June, and added, “At this time, we don't plan to raise assessment fees for the public. However... there will be an increase probably for the commercial buildings.”

On staffing, Shepherd said the department currently has four part‑time personnel (two EMTs and two medics) and that one part‑time medic will transition to full time on June 2. He said the department relies on part‑time staff to reduce overtime but still anticipates a need for overtime because the minimum staffing mandate is four while the on‑duty complement can be five; when multiple employees are off, overtime is triggered unless staffed with part time personnel.

Shepherd described volunteer support and stipends: two volunteers, George Tatum (who accepts per‑call reimbursement) and Brian Langston (who provides volunteer service without taking reimbursement), assist with scene control and rehabilitation. He said the city used ARPA funds for a new medium‑duty rescue and that the sale of a fixed asset (the heavy rescue) produced $740 in revenue previously.

Shepherd discussed equipment and maintenance priorities. He said the department will begin a preventive‑maintenance program for vehicles to avoid higher future repair costs and described required annual testing: pump testing (about $600) and ladder testing (about $500). On protective equipment, he described a multi‑year plan to purchase three sets of bunker gear per year so that every five years each firefighter would receive a new set; he noted the useful life for bunker gear is 10 years and that replacement is a safety priority.

Shepherd also described training and certification costs: he wants to encourage paramedic education and said the city would sponsor paramedic school (Santa Fe) for employees; one firefighter, Chris Tatum, is currently attending with city support. He said professional‑service expenses include a medical director (Dr. Jones) required for ALS operations and that the county provides most medications, though the city will expand the narcotics carried from one to two for seizure and pain management.

Commissioners asked about maintenance needs for trucks; Shepherd confirmed specialized annual testing is required and said current pump and ladder tests match NFPA requirements. Another commissioner noted large, mostly uncontrollable costs—retirement, health insurance, liability and workers’ compensation—estimated during the meeting at roughly $750,000 for the department, which Shepherd acknowledged.

Shepherd closed by noting a reduction in annual debt payments now that the heavy rescue has been paid off and by reiterating he will bring proposed fire‑assessment changes to a future commission meeting. No formal vote on the fire‑department budget took place at the workshop.