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Fire department seeks two new squads, drones and a needs assessment in proposed FY26 budget
Summary
San Antonio Fire Department chiefs presented proposals for two ‘squad’ units at Stations 10 and 21 to reduce response times and workload, a $291,000 drone purchase, and a $1.4 million comprehensive needs assessment of personnel, facilities and equipment for future planning.
SAN ANTONIO — Fire department leadership presented a package of operational changes and capital requests during the City of San Antonio’s Aug. 19, 2025 budget hearing, including two new two-person squad units, a proposed $291,000 drone purchase and a comprehensive needs assessment estimated at $1.4 million.
Fire officials said the department holds an ISO Class 1 rating and has maintained accreditation through a peer-review process; they noted nearly 80–89% of their calls are medical in nature and that medical responses represent the largest share of workload. "La parte médica es quien la la carga más grande…" the fire presenter said, underscoring the EMS-heavy call mix.
The squads — two-person units placed at Station 10 and Station 21 if approved — are intended to reduce response times and decrease wear on larger apparatus by assigning appropriately sized resources to high-frequency, lower-acuity calls. Fire staff said the squad deployments, if funded, would start in July 2026. Presenters also noted the proposal anticipates savings in overtime and vehicle repair costs once squads reduce demand on larger engines.
The department requested funding for a comprehensive needs assessment covering personnel, facilities and equipment to identify service gaps and plan for city growth; staff estimated the study at about $1.4 million. Fire leadership described station upgrades and several ongoing capital projects at Stations 21, 33 and 10.
On technology and equipment, the department proposed purchasing tethered and free-flight drones (six flight units) for varied applications and noted this would be the first time the department acquired this type of capability. Staff said the drone procurement would not require licensed operators if approved and listed projected savings from other reductions (restructuring a civilian position and converting a role to a contractor) to offset costs.
Councilmembers questioned metrics used to measure response times, geographic deployment across large districts and how squads would affect worker fatigue and long-term staffing. Fire leaders said the squad model aims to rebalance workload on the busiest companies and to improve sleep and readiness by evening out call volume across units.
Ending — The department’s proposals were presented as part of the FY26 budget discussion; council members asked for more granular performance and station-level data and for the planned needs assessment to include recommendations for station capacity and staffing models. No formal appropriation was taken during the session.
