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Marion County Fire Rescue and EMS ask for targeted hires as training pipeline expands; commissioners briefed on vacancies and overtime
Summary
Fire Rescue and EMS leaders told commissioners that hiring and training pipelines have expanded (155 hires over 18 months and 40 tentative offers in latest noncert cycle), but retaining staff remains a challenge; the department asked for targeted positions and budgeted overtime while reporting that EMS revenues are holding steady.
Chief James Banta and senior staff presented the Fire Rescue and EMS budgets and a department state-of-play.
Key points: - Hiring and training: Training Chief Drew Rogers said the department brought 155 new hires through training over the past 18 months and recently issued tentative offers to 40 non-certified candidates who will start combined Fire 1/Fire 2 and EMT training via a partnership with the Florida State Fire College. The county also plans a local first-responder academy for high-school students.
- Vacancies and relief staffing: Chief Robert Gaff and staff said vacancies continue to affect daily operations. On July 1 the department recorded 51 open positions overall; an earlier April pay-grade adjustment reduced turnover pressures but the department still showed attrition around 9% countywide. Gaff explained the department uses a 1.25 relief-factor assumption for a 56-hour schedule and is asking for positions to meet that model.
- EMS performance and revenue: Deputy Chief Robert Krueger presented EMS unit-hour utilization (UHU) metrics; the department has reduced many high-UHU hotspots since prior increases to staffing and placed most units within best-practice UHU thresholds. EMS revenue year-to-date was about $16 million through June 30, roughly $700,000 more than the prior year period. The department also reports a 76% collection rate on ambulance-billing.
- Budget asks: EMS requested 12 firefighters to staff two additional rescues and one quality-improvement technician (total loaded cost ~$1.03 million for proposed EMS additions and reclassifications). Fire requested a staff assistant for logistics, a training lieutenant and other non-sworn roles; both funds budgeted increased overtime (EMS approx. $4.6M, fire approx. $4.8M) and line-item increases for training, hardware and apparel.
Commissioners probed vacancies, training throughput, and the need to reclassify three EMS captains to battalion chiefs; leadership said reclassification reflects operational realities — the EMS captain roles operate at higher command levels and moving to battalion-chief classifications would free dual-certified battalion chiefs to serve in the field.
Why it matters: the presentation ties hiring and training expansion to an ability to bring new apparatus into service and to control overtime. Commissioners signaled support but asked staff to continue to show progress in reducing open positions as hiring classes complete and trainees enter service.
