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Residents, firefighters press Brevard commissioners to address staffing, pay and funding
Summary
Multiple public commenters and firefighters said the county is losing personnel and asked the board to fully fund the fire-rescue department; speakers tied the staffing crisis to long-delayed impact-fee updates and the county’s fiscal choices.
A string of public comments at the May 6 Brevard County commission meeting urged the board to resolve an ongoing and worsening staffing crisis in the county fire-rescue department, saying the department has lost dozens of personnel and that remaining firefighters are working mandatory overtime.
Several commenters gave firsthand accounts. John Dacko, a career firefighter, told the board the department had not received a raise since Oct. 1, 2024, that last year there were more than 24,000 hours of mandatory overtime because of more than 100 unfilled positions, and that the county is on track to lose another 100 firefighters. “Doing the right thing, that’s called leadership,” Dacko said, pressing the commission to fully fund the department.
Public speakers and commenters linked the staffing shortages and equipment problems to long-standing revenue shortfalls and called for the board to use tools such as updated impact fees or other revenue to stabilize staffing and equipment. Christina Fleming, who previously addressed impact fees that evening, flagged equipment problems in fire apparatus air conditioning and declining retention.
Speakers asked why contracts and staffing changes had not been finalized; one public commenter said the county had a “moral obligation” to secure a contract with firefighters after the Rockledge Hospital closure and warned that delayed action risks lives. John Dacko said some residents would willingly pay higher assessments to keep fire stations staffed and that the county’s choices about allocating funds (including past transfers to other projects) require leadership and trade-offs.
Commissioners did not adopt a direct funding measure on May 6. The item that evening related to impact-fee study selection and separate public hearings on budget topics; several speakers explicitly asked the board to prioritize fire/EMS work in the study and to consider immediate revenue actions to shore up staffing while longer-term analyses proceed.
Ending: Commissioners acknowledged the public testimony and the fiscal pressures raised. The board approved a comprehensive impact-fee study and was asked to prioritize fire/EMS analysis; staff and commissioners signaled follow-up work would be needed to address contract, funding and staffing decisions.
