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Select Board Approves Fire Department Budget After Debate Over Deputy Post
Summary
After a lengthy debate about staffing levels and safety standards, the Brentwood Select Board approved the fire department’s 2026 budget without funding a deputy chief position and instead moved forward with a lower‑cost lieutenant slot; staff will return with a staffing plan and a possible warrant article for additional coverage.
The Brentwood Select Board on Nov. 19 approved the fire department 2026 budget after extended discussion over whether to fund a deputy chief position or to rely on a mix of lieutenants and per‑diem staff.
The department chief (referred to in the meeting as Roy) urged the board not to remove manpower, arguing that three on‑duty personnel is the minimum safe staffing level to operate a frontline apparatus. “Three is the minimum, ultimately, to get a fire truck out the door in the appropriate manner,” the chief said, warning that two personnel on scene can be unable to enter a structure safely and that missing staff increases risk and reliance on mutual aid.
Board members examined budgetary tradeoffs: the deputy chief position was estimated at roughly $90,000 in salary (about $118,080 with benefits in the presentations), while downgrading to a lieutenant would reduce payroll costs by roughly $20,000 to $80,000 depending on exact classification. The department also showed a substantial increase in per‑diem wages tied to night coverage added this year and to training obligations, which explained much of the line‑item increase.
After discussion and a motion to approve the budget as presented with the deputy position removed (and the lieutenant/full‑time slot approach retained), the board voted to adopt the budget. Staff was asked to provide a step‑wise staffing plan and to prepare a potential warrant article to pursue additional full‑time coverage in future years.
The chief said he will prepare a multi‑year staffing proposal showing incremental steps to reach the department’s target staffing level. The board accepted the budget and directed finance staff to reconcile final calculations and supporting spreadsheets before warrant preparation.
