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Finance committee reviews police, fire budgets as firefighters and residents press to fully staff Engine 64
Summary
Police and fire leaders outlined proposed staffing and program changes. Fire proposed three captain positions to avoid overtime cross‑staffing at Engine 64 and offered single‑role ambulance options; residents and firefighters asked the committee to adopt full staffing rather than rely on overtime.
The Palo Alto Finance Committee heard police, fire and emergency services budget presentations on May 6 and spent substantial time on fire department staffing — specifically the status of Engine 64 and options to add single‑role ambulances.
Police overview Police Chief Eric Bender summarized the department’s FY2026 proposals: continuing hire‑ahead and recruit‑pipeline investments, funding for ongoing equipment (for example, automated license plate readers approved by council) and maintenance for the citywide radio program. He also described a state grant that funds officers addressing organized retail theft and said the department would join interagency implementation of a regional computer‑aided dispatch system this year.
Fire overview and debate over Engine 64 and ambulance options Fire Chief Geo Blackshire presented multiple options to modify ambulance availability and how Engine 64 is staffed. Chief Blackshire…
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