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Fire chiefs urge higher starting pay, warn of equipment delays as FY27 budgets are presented
Summary
Multiple Beaufort County fire district chiefs asked for higher starting pay in FY27 budgets and outlined equipment and staffing strains, citing multi-year build times for engines and borrowing limits that complicate apparatus replacement.
Several Beaufort County fire-district chiefs told county council during a May 5 budget workshop that raising pay is central to retaining firefighters and keeping stations staffed, while equipment lead times and borrowing limits complicate long-term planning.
DeFusky Island Fire District representatives said the district will keep its current millage and 'we are not raising any taxes. We're just keeping up with growth,' while continuing investments in apparatus, training and workforce stability. The presenter said the district's entry-level starting pay for someone without prior training is 'around 46–47,000.' The chief warned that ladder trucks now average about $2.1 million and that the district faces a legal borrowing cap of about 8% of assessed value, limiting replacement…
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