Town updates timetable, budget and staffing plan as it builds Jupiter Fire Rescue

Fire Chief (name not specified) told the Town Council on April 15 that the town will pursue a phased assumption of fire and emergency medical services (EMS) now provided by Palm Beach County and expects to assume full operational responsibility at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2026, per the existing contract termination date of Sept. 30, 2026.

The chief said the town will not simply “flip a switch” on that date; instead, Jupiter and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue will run joint training and begin joint emergency responses starting in August 2026 to ensure continuity. The town filed an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity (COPCN) with Palm Beach County in December 2024; the county EMS advisory council unanimously recommended approval on March 20, 2025, and the Palm Beach County Commission will hold a public hearing on the town’s COPCN application on June 10, 2025.

The phase-in also includes infrastructure and staffing steps. The town is building two new fire stations — one at Piatt Place and another adjacent to Senquez Park. Site work at Piatt Place is nearly complete and vertical construction is expected to start soon; the Senquez Park site work includes a new park road the town expects to open in May 2025. Both stations are on schedule for substantial completion by April 2026, the chief said.

The chief also reported that ownership of the Abacoa Fire Station is set to revert to the town under a previously recorded reversionary deed if Palm Beach County ceases providing fire and EMS services; staff are coordinating a formal transition plan for that station with county fire officials.

On staffing and budget, the chief said the department will propose a 48‑hour workweek for operational personnel rather than a 56‑hour schedule used in an earlier consulting study. That change increases staffing needs but, staff say, will align the town with accepted work schedules across South Florida and reduce mandatory overtime costs. The town’s current projection for an annual operating budget for Jupiter Fire Rescue is $25,000,000 for fiscal 2027; by contrast, the town presently pays Palm Beach County about $28,200,000 for fire services and county projections without the town’s contract termination put countywide costs at roughly $31,500,000 for FY 2027.

The chief outlined offsets the town will use to hold the town’s projected $25 million cost: eliminating debt service on station land purchases that had been included in the 2023 consultant estimate, reducing mandatory overtime by moving away from a 56‑hour schedule, and other operational efficiencies. The town has used investment earnings to fund start‑up costs so far and staff said general fund reserves could cover next year’s startup without jeopardizing the town’s reserve policy.

Training and state licensing steps were highlighted. The town must receive the COPCN from Palm Beach County before applying for a Florida state EMS provider license; once the COPCN is approved and the town secures the state license, it will expand recruitment and training. The town is also hiring a fire marshal and expects to present a proposed fire prevention code ordinance for adoption prior to assuming fire prevention enforcement responsibilities.

The update included one personnel development item: five current town employees have accepted positions in the first firefighter‑EMT trainee cohort. They will move from their current town jobs into full‑time schooling in August 2025 to complete combined EMT and fire minimum standards training, then enter operational duty on completion of certification.

The chief closed by telling council the department remains “on schedule and on budget.” No formal council action was required during the presentation; council members asked questions about trainee timing, the fire marshal transition and public engagement on the prevention code.