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Fire/EMS requests 35 new positions as county plans public‑safety expansion
Summary
Fire leadership told the workshop the county is pursuing a Public Safety expansion that would add stations and roughly 105 new public‑safety positions over time; for FY27 the department requested 35 FTEs (30 for Beachwalk station plus administrative and training roles) tied to station openings, and noted personnel costs dominate budgets.
Fire leadership presented operational metrics and a staffing plan tied to the county’s Public Safety expansion. The department reported roughly 70,000 calls in FY2025 across 18 stations, strong clinical outcomes on cardiac arrests (44% initial return of spontaneous circulation, 18% discharged neurologically intact versus a national average near 8%), and growing costs for onboarding, equipment and apparatus.
To staff new stations and support expansion, the department requested 35 FTEs for FY27 — roughly 30 positions earmarked for the Beachwalk station plus logistics, training and administrative roles — and described training and promotion timelines (about eight months to a year to onboard and make personnel promotion‑eligible). Staff noted federal grants (SAFER) may offset initial costs but cautioned grant awards are uncertain and temporary.
The combined Fire budgets across funds were presented (~$123 million total), with most of the budget attributed to personnel (roughly 80% of some funds). Board members asked about reserve planning and emergency activation cashflow; staff estimated a typical small storm activation could cost about $1M–$2M for personnel and EOC operations and recommended building multi‑year reserves to handle reimbursements that can be delayed.
