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Fire chief says SAFER grants and rescue-run revenue underpin FY27 budget as council presses on hiring and PTSD supports
Summary
Chief Silva told the committee the proposed FY27 fire budget relies on rising rescue-run billing and two SAFER grants that funded 60 hires; council members pressed on recruitment, city-residency of hires, and how PTSD/IOD claims are processed and supported.
Chair Miguel convened the standing committee hearing on the city’s proposed FY27 budget and the fire department’s presentation drew the first substantive review.
Chief Silva said the fire department’s budget shows an $850,000 increase over FY26 largely driven by higher rescue-run revenue and that total city expenditures proposed for the department are roughly $94.95 million. He told the committee “the primary revenue that's driving that increase is the rescue run revenue, and it is supported by historical trends.” He also described two active SAFER grants and related AFG funding that have supported hiring and reduced callback/overtime costs.
Council members asked pointed questions about how federal grant timing and rising operating costs (fuel, tires, parts) affect the plan. A finance presenter said reimbursements from the federal programs are arriving but “the time in which it takes is much longer right now” because of staffing at federal agencies. Chief Silva added that fuel and tire costs have increased and that those pressures are reflected in discrete line items.
On hiring, Councilman Taylor raised concerns that lateral hires appeared to displace qualified city residents in recent academies. He said a local candidate who participated in the high‑school cadet program was not selected. Chief Silva responded that the department balances lateral and entry-level academies, described the CT cadet pathway and municipal training sequence, and said the department is keeping its entry-level application open to cast a wider recruiting net.
Chief Silva offered numbers on diversity and residency: the department’s female workforce is about 6.5% and persons of color about 31%; city residency among firefighters has risen to roughly 14%. He said the current callback/overtime request is “the lowest in true dollar amount since fiscal year 2008” in nominal dollars, reflecting investments in staffing and scheduling.
Councilmembers also pressed on behavioral‑health supports and claims handling after repeated line-of-duty stress events. Chief Silva described the post‑incident and IOD/PTSD workflow and the impact of a state presumptive‑PTSD law: "A firefighter submits an IOD claim. At that point ... that attestation triggers ... provide medical note" and the city then follows its adjudication steps. He said the process can be slow because of clinician availability but that, to date, "not a single person has been denied" and employees have been returned time or paid during adjudication.
The department committed to provide follow-up material: a breakdown of city‑resident hires from recent lateral and entry academies, details on the SAFER grants and their timelines, and a short memo describing the administrative cadence for PTSD/IOD adjudication and short‑term sick‑time advances.
The committee did not take a final vote on the department’s budget at this meeting; staff and council members agreed to follow up with requested numbers and to continue discussion in committee.
