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Public Safety CSA seeks modest staffing and one‑time security funding; first responder fee proposed for Jan. 2026
Summary
Fire, police, emergency management and the independent police auditor presented the Public Safety City Service Area budget priorities on May 12, citing modest increases to maintain response levels, a proposed first‑responder fee to recover EMS costs, and one‑time funding for security at major 2026 events.
Fire, police, emergency management and civilian oversight staff briefed City Council on May 12 about the Public Safety City Service Area (CSA) proposed budget for 2025–26, emphasizing steady service delivery while adding limited staff and one‑time event security funding.
Fire Chief Robert Sapien said the fire department will continue to focus on emergency response, hazardous incidents and fire prevention programs. The department seeks funding to staff the engine company at the new Fire Station 32 in Council District 7 and asked for augmented staffing in fire communications to address constraints caused by ambulance availability. The fire department noted its 8‑minute arrival target for priority 1 responses (goal: arrival on scene within 8 minutes 80% of the time) remains challenging; staff estimated a 67% compliance for the most recent year and said response times should improve as new stations become operational.
Chief of Police Paul Joseph described a proposed 2.5% increase for the police department driven largely by one‑time funding requests, including a $3 million allocation for safety and security measures related to major sporting events and activations planned in Silicon Valley in 2026. The department also seeks ongoing staffing to establish a Neighborhood Quality of Life Unit (one sergeant and six officers) to address crime and quality‑of‑life impacts in coordination with housing outreach and code enforcement.
The budget materials propose a first‑responder fee program, with implementation effective January 2026, as a cost recovery tool for emergency medical services provided by first responders. If approved, the program would be staffed with a dedicated captain and a senior analyst to administer billing and program delivery.
The Office of Emergency Management presented its priorities, including continued expansion of Community Emergency Response Team programs, emergency operations center work and a proposed investment in an AI‑driven evacuation and disaster preparedness modeling platform to improve planning and notifications. The Independent Police Auditor's office said it will continue oversight, complaint intake and audits of internal misconduct investigations.
Performance measures in the CSA packet showed mixed results: the police 9‑1‑1 target (calls answered in under 15 seconds) was on target at 90%, while the fire response target (8‑minute arrival) was estimated at 67% compliance. The resident perception metric for police protection remained low in the materials (about 24% rating neighborhood police protection as good or excellent), and staff said outreach and service expansions are intended to address service equity and preparedness gaps.
Less critical details: staff emphasized the CSA seeks to minimize general fund impacts, using one‑time funding where possible. The police and fire departments flagged recruitment and staffing constraints, and staff reiterated coordination with county partners for diversion and other cross‑jurisdictional services.
