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Fire department budget requests refill of inspector position, prepares for regional dispatch and SCBA/radio replacement
Summary
The Fire Department presented a status‑quo recommended budget for FY 2026 that requests refilling an Inspector 3 position in fire prevention, anticipates migration to regional dispatch in May, budgets for SCBA and portable radio replacement in FY26–27, and reports overtime and mutual‑aid reimbursement levels.
Fire Chief Chris Nails (as recorded) and Business Manager Amy Vanetta presented the Santa Barbara Fire Department’s FY 2026 recommended budget and described several near‑term operational priorities.
The department is authorized for 105 full‑time equivalents and reported a total FY 2026 budget of about $45.4 million, of which roughly $40.2 million is general fund. Chief Nails said the presentation is largely status‑quo and highlighted a request to refill an Inspector 3 (captain‑level) position in the fire prevention bureau that has been held vacant for two budget cycles.
Major initiatives described include staged implementation of the recently completed standards of cover study (a multi‑hundred‑page operational analysis), succession…
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