Fire chief warns proposed 2026 cuts would reduce sworn strength and erase CARES unit capacity

Saint Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks told the Finance and Budget Committee that the department’s 2026 proposal includes reductions that would lower sworn staffing and remove a dedicated CARES response unit, even as run volumes and emergency medical calls remain high.

Chief’s summary of the proposal Chief Inks said the department is proposing that three firefighter positions be removed (a reduction carried forward from 2025), a deputy chief position in EMS (who leads the CARES team) be reduced through attrition, and nine basic life support (BLS) FTEs be eliminated (six assigned to overnight BLS response and three assigned to CARES). He said those reductions came as difficult choices intended to avoid layoffs elsewhere in the city budget.

Why it matters: frontline staffing and response model Inks repeatedly told the committee the department will continue to respond to all 911 calls but warned the staffing reductions would create “gaps” by forcing advanced life support (ALS) units to cover basic needs at times — a change that can take an ALS asset out of service and can reduce simultaneous firefighting capacity because ALS rigs are tied to engine companies. He described a domino effect: when BLS/CARES capacity is reduced, ALS units and engines cover more basic medical calls, leaving fewer units available for other emergencies.

Chief Inks’ operational notes and initiatives mentioned - BLS division and pathways: The chief described the Basic Life Support division and associated career pathways (explorer → BLS → firefighter) and credited the program with increasing recruitment and retention; he said roughly 45 former BLS EMTs had transitioned to firefighter positions. - D shift pilot: The department has piloted a “D” shift (alternate schedule of drivers/captains/chiefs) to reduce overtime; Inks reported about $235,000 in savings since the pilot began and estimated potential annual overtime savings over $1 million if expanded. - Station infrastructure and apparatus: Inks noted capital work underway (new Station 7 previously opened and a remodeled Station 3) and warned of rapidly rising apparatus costs (a new engine that cost under $400,000 in 2018 now exceeds $1 million), which complicates replacement planning.

Council questions and concerns Council members pressed about the operational effects if the CARES dedicated response were removed in 2026. Inks said the intentional CARES response would go away but the department planned to expand CARES‑style training to other BLS staff; the dedicated on‑call CARES unit would not be available. When asked whether those CARES positions were currently filled, the chief said conditional offers had been accepted and new hires were expected to start October 13; the 2026 plan would reduce those positions through attrition if adopted.

Inks acknowledged the strain such cuts would place on staff, described the department as operating near a minimum sworn strength for a city of Saint Paul’s size and said that to change shift models (24‑on/48‑off, 24‑on/72‑off) would require many more personnel than currently authorized. He told the committee: “We still will go on the call. And we will go back to what we did in 2018,” and that reductions would likely increase overtime usage, gaps and response pressure on remaining staff.

No formal decision recorded The budget proposals were presented for committee review; Chief Inks said follow‑up materials and staffing details would be supplied in response to council questions. No formal vote or motion occurred at the meeting to adopt or reject the chief’s recommendations.

Ending Council members said they will review follow‑up materials and pressed for a fuller accounting of the “cost of doing business” for public safety staffing, overtime and the human impacts of sustained overtime on first responders. Chief Inks thanked the committee and repeated the department’s commitment to respond to all calls despite the financial pressure described.

Direct quotes: Chief Butch Inks: “We are looking at a reduction of 3 firefighters,” and later, on CARES: “This would wipe out a specific response, in the cares for the cares team.”