Senate hearing on Fire and EMS budget focuses on overtime, vacant positions, repairs and communications upgrades

The Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee on Sept. 8 heard testimony from the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services about its proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget and ongoing operational shortfalls, with discussion concentrating on overtime costs, unfunded full‑time positions, repair and maintenance needs, and communications upgrades including next‑generation 911 and drone capabilities.

Commissioner Juan Puwa told the committee the department has about 150 personnel across the CNMI and described the department’s mission and program responsibilities, including fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, and code enforcement. He said the department is NAMES‑compliant, Pro Board certified and working toward National Registry certification for EMS staff. The department reported roughly 995 fire suppression responses for a recent period and 6,901 EMS responses; code enforcement activity included about 821 inspections, 179 new permits and 642 renewals.

The committee and department reviewed the department’s two special/revolving funds — the ambulance revolving account and the fire safety code revolving account — and the department said revolving funds currently cover many operational costs because the general fund has not provided regular operating support. Committee members were given a summary showing an administration submission of roughly 5.442 million for FY2026 versus a prior budgeted amount of about 5.365 million under Public Law 24‑1, with an indicated remaining balance on that comparison of about $56,806.

Lawmakers pressed department leaders on overtime and staffing. Senators were told all department employees are funded from local general funds (not from federal grants) and that federal grants the department receives are project‑specific (training, equipment, reimbursable items) rather than paying base salaries. Department officials reported roughly $400,000 in overtime costs for the current fiscal year and said average overtime paid per pay period is about $24,000. The department said there are approximately 14 vacant/unfunded FTEs it would like to fill; officials discussed using temporary strategies such as WIOA or other grant programs to fund limited initial periods for hires, then seek local funding in future budgets.

Committee members also reviewed revenue and expense estimates for the revolving funds. The department estimated monthly code enforcement receipts of roughly $30,000 (about $360,000 annually) and estimated ambulance revolving revenue near $1.3 million annually. Year‑to‑date operational expense projections shown to the committee included fuel (about $123,000), communications (about $56,000–$57,000), power (about $31,000) and repairs/maintenance (reported year‑to‑date spending rising to roughly $659,800), with total year‑to‑date expenditures for repairs, maintenance and operations near $949,000. The department requested about $600,000 in repair and maintenance funds for FY2026.

Members and staff discussed recent and pending federal grants. Department witnesses listed federal grant sources that have supported training and project work, including U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and they identified an EPA clean heavy‑duty vehicle (electric vehicle) grant that the department expects will provide multiple vehicles (the department and grant staff said an allocation discussed included seven vehicles across the three islands: five for Saipan, one for Tinian and one for Rota). The Office of Grants Management (OGM) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) were present to discuss grant rules and allocations. OMB staff said an OIA (Office of Insular Affairs) award of about $400,000 had been established recently and that an initial OIA award earlier in the current cycle reimbursed roughly $300,000 for overtime; OMB indicated allocations from the newly established account were being processed and that payouts could be imminent once required documentation and certifications are complete.

Committee members asked OGM staff to confirm whether the OIA premium‑pay award can be used for regular personnel hours (beyond overtime) and to advise on grant terms. OGM representatives committed to follow up; senators indicated that if OIA or other grant funds can lawfully support some regular personnel costs short‑term, the committee would consider that approach as a bridge to fund staffing fully in a later budget year.

Communications and technology needs were a recurring focus. Department leaders said the jurisdiction does not yet have widespread next‑generation 911 capability (automatic GPS caller location for cell phones) and strongly supported legislation and funding to establish it. The department reported one active drone and prior training but said continuity funding and a paid pilot program were not sustained; the department and OGM discussed coordinating future grant proposals (including multi‑agency proposals with DPS) to support drone pilots, drone training and a broader communications upgrade. The department also described grant work to install radio repeater infrastructure on Rota (MAP/TAP grants and a supplemental request for an extension were noted) and said Rota and Tinian handheld radio improvements were underway through grants and interagency coordination. Senators urged a written plan and timetable for achieving next‑generation 911 coverage and improved island communications.

On staffing and operations, department witnesses described shift scheduling changes (two‑shift or variable individual schedules rather than three fixed shifts) and emphasized retention pressures: certified personnel sometimes accept higher pay or lateral transfers outside the CNMI, creating recurring training and replacement costs. Several senators suggested reserve or swing‑shift programs and recommended surveying staff to better quantify retention drivers. The department said it will continue to pursue grants, address vacancies where possible and work with OMB and OGM on near‑term funding options.

Committee actions at the hearing were procedural: the committee adopted the day’s agenda by motion and later moved to adjourn; no appropriation or budget adoption vote occurred at the hearing. Committee members asked OMB and OGM to prepare for upcoming budget hearings with the Departments of Lands and Natural Resources and Public Works and to supply requested grant documentation and clarifications to the committee.

The department concluded by reiterating three priorities: sustain current personnel, maintain life‑safety operations for personnel and the public, and preserve the revolving funds that cover critical operational needs.