Brandon Fire Department asks for about $198,327 to start staffing fund; council seeks more detail

Chief Justin Horn of the Brandon Fire Department told the city council the department is seeking roughly $198,327 above CPI plus growth in this year’s contract to create a staffing fund that would allow the department to pay members on a per‑call or hourly basis and cover higher employment costs.

"We proposed May, for this year's contract, which is about a $198,327 more than the CIP plus growth for this year," Horn said, adding the additional revenue "is going to be used to start a fund for staffing." He said the money would pay members whether on a per‑call or hourly basis and would also raise workers' compensation, insurance and payroll taxes compared with the department’s current, largely unpaid, volunteer model.

The request follows a larger $270,000 ask last year that Horn said the department could not sustain. Horn described the current proposal as a step toward part‑time staffing leading, eventually, to full‑time staffing as call volume and community size require.

Why it matters: Brandon’s volunteer department handles a rising number of calls and says it needs paid staffing to maintain response levels. Horn told the council the department had run 357 calls so far this year and projects roughly 550 calls by year‑end; he cited historical totals of about 499 last year, roughly 560 in 2023 and about 607 in 2021.

Department capacity and recruitment: Horn said the department currently has 27 volunteers, with one person joining next month to bring the roster to 28. He said the bylaws set a maximum membership of 40 (bylaws dated to 1958) and that the department has struggled with retention as long‑serving volunteers retire. "We have 27 and 1 that'll be joining at the beginning of next month, so we'll have 28," Horn said. He also said 11 of the 27 members are medically trained and that the department conducts weekly trainings, including a monthly medical training night that MedStar sometimes attends.

Funding design and intergovernmental shares: Horn said stakeholders developed a formula that informed the current request; that formula considered population size, call volume and assessed property value. He said the township and county share of the call burden is small — he estimated fewer than 20 township calls in a year of nearly 499 — and that the city carries the majority of the cost. He told the council the department and stakeholders remain open to negotiating a lower funding number if the city proposes one.

Limits and alternatives: Horn explained the department lacks sleeping quarters and that fully staffing 24/7 would require additional renovation and higher wages to be competitive. He said a previously discussed fire district was rejected by stakeholders because a max‑levy approach would have been unpopular with residents, which led to the stakeholder formula now under discussion.

What council did: Council members asked questions and thanked the department but took no formal vote on the request. Staff said the department does not have to be included in the current ordinance and recommended that, if an agreement is reached, the funding could be amended into the 2026 budget. The council directed staff to prepare the budget ordinance for first reading Tuesday and to follow up on outstanding details.

Quotes: "We would be perfectly fine negotiating another number," Horn said when asked whether the department could accept partial funding.

Next steps: Staff will draft the budget ordinance for a first reading at Tuesday’s meeting and follow up with the fire department and stakeholders to clarify the formula, township and county shares and the department’s proposed staffing model.