Fire commissioner outlines FY27 request, turnout gear needs after PFAS gear change and large incident response

Fire Commissioner BJ Calvi presented the department’s FY27 level‑service request of $31,191,132 to the council, covering 290 positions (278 uniformed) and funding core functions including turnout‑gear replacement, medical and rescue responses, and continued Narcan and EpiPen programs.

Calvi said PFAS‑free turnout gear mandated by regulation is not performing as well as older gear and the department needs to purchase roughly 50 sets per year to ensure firefighter safety and longevity of equipment. He summarized operations statistics from the prior year: roughly 22,843 requests for service that generated about 32,021 individual responses, including 13,810 medical calls and multiple large fires.

He discussed notable incidents, including a six‑alarm event at Cushion Avenue and a large wrecking‑yard fire that required substantial resources; Calvi estimated the department pumped about 6,000,000 gallons to extinguish that fire. He also described hiring pipelines and retention: five firefighters graduated recently, with others entering or in hiring pipelines to address attrition.

Councilors asked about foam use and the transition to green foam after a PFAS foam ban; Calvi said the department used water rather than foam in a tire fire and continues to acquire more environmentally friendly extinguishing agents when appropriate.

Next steps: council will consider the request within the FY27 package and follow up on turnout gear procurement timelines and capital replacement schedules.