Syracuse City fire chief asks for 2.9% budget increase, warns staffing is majority of costs

Syracuse City Fire Chief told the City Council on Tuesday that the fire department is requesting a 2.9% increase to its civilian and sworn budget for fiscal year 27 to cover inflation, contractual pay and equipment costs.

“This year we’re asking just for a 2.9% increase over our civilian and sworn budget,” the Fire Chief said, adding that about 90.3% of the department’s budget is personnel costs. He said roughly $41.97 million is proposed for personnel, with about $34 million for salaries and approximately $5 million for overtime; operating costs total roughly $4.53 million, or about 9.7% of the budget.

The chief framed the request around mounting service demand: the department answered 25,863 calls last year and is on pace for about 26,800 this year, a roughly 23% increase from 2021. He said the department maintains 11 stations, 10 engine companies, six ladder companies and a rescue company, with 75 firefighters on duty at any time.

The chief also highlighted performance metrics the department cites as evidence of effective deployment: an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 rating, a 9% improvement in response times (about a 16-second reduction), and a recent multi-month stretch without a civilian fire fatality. “Our deployment plan and our response plan is working,” he told the council.

Councilors pressed for detail about fixed costs and contractual obligations. The chief said most of the personnel line is contractual and non-discretionary, and that roughly $34 million of the personnel total covers salaries; another $5 million is budgeted for overtime. He also confirmed a vacancy allowance in the budget of about $1.4 million to reflect expected retirements and separations.

On workforce planning, the chief said the department currently staffs 261 firefighters as an operational target but noted 6–10 line-of-duty injuries are keeping personnel out and that by the end of 2027 as many as 68 firefighters could be eligible to retire. The department hires from a civil service list and typically runs one academy class per year, with additional classes scheduled if separations increase.

The hearing did not record a vote; the request will move through the council’s budget review process. The department’s leadership urged that any reductions in the proposed plan spare core firefighting capacity, saying staffing is already near a minimum for safe operations.