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Fire and EMS seek $35.22 million; chiefs warn of paramedic shortage and aging ambulances
Summary
Antonio Stevens, director of the Virgin Islands Fire & Emergency Medical Services, told the Legislature’s budget committee on June 24 that VIFEMS’ FY2026 general‑fund request is $35,224,463 and said the agency faces a territory‑wide shortage of paramedics and several aging ambulances.
Antonio Stevens, director of the Virgin Islands Fire & Emergency Medical Services (VIFEMS), presented the agency’s FY2026 budget request to the Legislature’s Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on June 24 and framed the request around staffing, ambulance fleet replacement and facility repairs.
The request: Stevens said the governor’s proposed FY2026 general‑fund allotment for VIFEMS is $35,224,463. He told senators that personnel and fringe account for the lion’s share of the request — roughly 98% of the appropriation — reflecting the agency’s front‑line staffing needs. VIFEMS employs about 285 people, 252 of whom are first responders, Stevens said.
Why it matters: Chiefs across districts warned of a territory‑wide…
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