Denver Fire outlines 2026 budget with staff realignments, cancelled recruit class and new conveyance testing

Chief Fulton, the head of the Denver Fire Department, presented the department’s proposed 2026 budget to the Denver City Council and said the plan preserves core emergency response while making personnel and service changes to reduce costs.

"The goal and priority is to ensure that the Denver Fire Department is capable of conducting its essential missions and functions under all threats and conditions," Chief Fulton told council members. He said the department is recommending a general-fund expenditure of $158,100,000 for the fire department in 2026 and that "97 percent of our budget is people."

The department proposed several personnel and program changes aimed at keeping firehouses open and maintaining four firefighters per engine or truck while reducing overall budgeted headcount. Those changes include cutting 9 uniform positions and 9 civilian support (CSA) positions in 2026 through attrition, reallocating some staff to the Wildland Special Revenue Fund, and not hosting a recruit academy in 2026. Chief Fulton said the reductions are from attrition and that there will be no layoffs.

To reduce overtime pressure and preserve frontline staffing, the department plans to move some support staff back to operational roles. Chief Fulton described one example: moving the public information…