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Lake County Fire Rescue details staffing progress, plans for more ambulances and investments in training and equipment
Summary
Public Safety Director David Kilberry (Fire Rescue) said the department is rebuilding staffing, expects to add ambulances and personnel, launched an in‑house paramedic program, and is investing in training, equipment and station openings amid rising unit and equipment costs.
David Kilberry, public safety director for Lake County Fire Rescue, presented the department’s fiscal‑year priorities at the May 22 budget workshop and described efforts to expand ambulance availability, retain staff through a recent collective‑bargaining agreement and modernize training and equipment.
Kilberry said the department manages countywide fire and EMS transport, provides medical direction for partner agencies, and operates specialty rescue teams. He said Lake County has about 500 personnel system‑wide with roughly 450 operational responders. Key accomplishments he cited include a new training center at the former Lake County Welcome Center, accreditation status for the training division, procurement of grant‑funded equipment (carbon‑monoxide detectors, 41 thermal‑imaging cameras), and a paramedic training program run in‑house to accelerate certification.
On EMS capacity, Kilberry said the county currently operates 20 ambulances and plans to staff 25 ambulances next fiscal year with approximately 45 additional personnel, assuming continued hiring success. He said the department also plans to add three ambulances this fiscal year and highlighted the high per‑ambulance transport workloads in parts of the county. He emphasized the high cost of rolling stock and apparatus: roughly $500,000 for a fully equipped ambulance and up to about $1 million for a class‑1 type pumper, and noted that supply‑chain and manufacturing delays have slowed vehicle delivery nationwide.
Kilberry said the department reached a competitive collective‑bargaining agreement to aid recruitment and retention and that staffing vacancies have declined substantially with upcoming hires (the department expected 14 EMT/paramedic vacancies and 8 firefighter vacancies after a scheduled June 2 hiring event). He discussed challenges — competitive regional labor markets, station modernization needs, water‑supply and ISO rating considerations — and said county fire stations are increasingly used as community hubs. Commissioners praised the department’s outreach and staff professionalism.
