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Fire chiefs ask Santa Rosa County for pay increase to cut response times; board agrees to advance request
Summary
Representatives of multiple local fire departments requested funding to raise firefighter pay to at least the state minimum and to reduce response times. The board gave unanimous consensus to have staff update the departments’ budget request and bring it to a June 23 budget workshop.
Representatives from the county’s MSBU fire departments asked the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners to increase funding so stations can staff shifts more reliably and reduce response times in rapidly growing areas.
Norm Wright, assistant chief of Skyland Fire Rescue, told the board the departments are asking the county to “go $3 a month” — an average residential assessment the chiefs said would fund part-time staffing to reduce response times in sparsely populated areas. Wright said the goal is to bring firefighter pay to at least the incoming Florida minimum wage of $15 an hour for paid positions. "We're asking for us to go $3 a month," Wright said.
Why it matters: fire chiefs said stretched staffing in large rural districts increases time to reach major incidents; cutting response time from 10–12 minutes to four or five minutes can be life-saving. Chiefs described managing with volunteers and limited paid staff and cited recent mutual-aid responses and saves where quick arrival mattered.
What the board decided: commissioners gave unanimous consent for staff to update the departments’ budgetary request and present it at a June 23 budget workshop. County staff summarized the request as a 25% increase on residential rates and a commercial rate change from 4¢ per square foot to 5.5¢ per square foot (the exact structure to be finalized in the budget update). County administration said it will prepare an updated budget request reflecting those figures and return it for the workshop.
Details from presenters: John King, chief of Munson Fire District, and other MSBU chiefs said volunteerism is declining nationwide and that pay differentials with neighboring counties make recruiting and retention difficult. Chiefs said capital purchases, including fire vehicles, have consumed grant and LOST funds in recent years and that operating costs are now the priority.
Public and commissioner remarks: Commissioners and members of the public backed the request; one CERT volunteer said, “If we don’t fund them properly, somebody’s gonna die.” Chair and several commissioners said public safety is a top priority and pledged to advance the item to the budget workshop for detailed review.
Next steps: county staff will update the MSBU budget request, include detailed estimated revenues and impacts, and present that package at the June 23 budget workshop for the board’s formal consideration.
