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Narragansett fire chief outlines $8.6 million operating budget and $2 million Station 2 renovation
Summary
Fire Chief Partington told the council the department’s FY2025–26 operating request reflects wage and benefit increases tied to a new contract and retention of eight SAFER-funded hires; a $2 million Station 2 renovation funded with ARPA/OPERA grants is under construction.
Narragansett Fire Chief Thomas Partington presented the department’s FY2025–26 budget to the town council on April 15, describing an operating request driven largely by personnel costs and outlining a $2 million renovation of Station 2 funded with federal and state recovery funds.
“Personnel is the dominant piece of our budget,” Chief Partington said, noting the department’s recent collective-bargaining agreement, the retention of eight firefighters hired through a SAFER grant and an operational structure that now staffs 10 firefighters per shift during the summer season with an eight-person minimum plus two floaters on duty year-round.
The department’s consolidated operating total in the packet is about $8.6 million, an increase of roughly 14.8% that Chief Partington attributed to contractual wage and benefit obligations, pension and Medicare contributions and the added staffing levels. He said about 94% of the fire budget is personnel-related and that the department still performs mostly emergency medical service work (about two-thirds of calls). Partington said the department handled roughly 3,600 total calls in 2024 and that simultaneous (concurrent) incidents occur about 25% of the time.
Partington described capital planning and said three capital items were postponed for the coming year while Station 2’s renovation proceeds. He gave a status update on the Station 2 renovation — a project to expand apparatus bay space, add living quarters and modernize interior facilities — that he said is under construction and should be complete by the end of the year. The project, he said, originally required roughly $2 million; most funding will come from ARPA/OPERA funds and a state Public Safety Infrastructure Grant.
Chief Partington described other capital needs that remain on the town’s long-range plan, including an apparatus vehicle replacement program, EMS equipment cycles (including tasers with a roughly five-year replacement life), fire-suppression equipment replacement and potential upgrades at Station 3. He said the department had previously replaced portable radios with grant funds and is pursuing grant opportunities for additional gear.
Councilors asked about the timing for renovating the north-end station and about the department’s marine rescue capability. Partington said the north-end station needs upgrades but that the town is prioritizing the South End renovation this year; he described the department’s marine-rescue program, which uses a rescue boat, coxswain-level training and rescue-swimmer deployments and operates in partnership with the harbor master and coast guard.
No formal votes were taken. Councilors thanked the chief and said they planned to continue capital and personnel discussions during the remaining budget workshops and at the public hearing on May 5.
