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Fire chief: growing EMS demand drives FY2027 personnel costs
Summary
Northampton Fire Rescue told the City Council its FY2027 budget is driven by personnel costs tied to rising EMS demand: 9,240 calls in 2025 with nearly 6,900 EMS responses, and the addition of eight firefighters to keep an ambulance consistently staffed.
Chief Pelis told the Council the Northampton Fire Rescue Department responded to 9,240 calls in 2025 and that nearly 6,900 of them were medical in nature, making the department the city's primary emergency health-care provider. The department's proposed FY2027 budget, Pelis said, does not expand services but sustains a staffing model adopted after adding eight firefighters in 2026.
The budget message emphasized personnel as the primary driver of the increase: the hires were intended to improve staffing reliability, allow an additional ambulance to be consistently staffed, reduce operational strain on existing personnel and shorten response times. "Nearly three out of four calls we respond to are medical emergencies," Pelis said in his presentation, framing the department's evolving role.
Councilors and residents asked for operational details. Division Chief Milan explained the department's ambulance reserve strategy and equipment lifecycle: as the city transitions to four frontline ambulances, it will retain older units in reserve and stretch replacement cycles as vehicle lead times and purchase prices rise. Milan said ambulance procurement timelines are longer than in the past and cited an example price increase from about $400,000 to $500,000 for a new ambulance.
Councilors also pressed on regional mutual aid and whether neighboring towns reducing budgets could shift more demand to Northampton. Pelis said mutual aid agreements remain in place but warned reduced staffing in other towns could increase the city's workload, and the department is coordinating with the mayor's office to monitor and respond to emerging imbalances. On grant funding, the chief confirmed a federal grant application to offset staffing costs was not awarded; the city proceeded with hires to meet operations needs.
The public and councillors raised programs to support vulnerable residents, including subsidized smoke- and carbon-alarm distribution. Pelis said the department currently supplies devices for seniors and conducts legally required inspections on property transfers but lacks dedicated funding to provide detectors to low-income households.
The hearing record shows the Fire Rescue budget is presented as sustaining recent operational changes and addressing steady EMS demand rather than initiating new services. Councilors requested continued reporting on mutual-aid impacts and equipment replacement timetables as capital and operating pressures evolve.
