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Chico council approves hiring three firefighter "floaters" to reduce overtime and forced holdovers
Summary
After presentations showing rising mandatory holdovers and projected overtime costs, the council approved hiring three full‑time floater firefighters to reduce mandatory holdovers and overtime burden; staff estimate a first‑year net cost of about $111,000 after overtime savings. Vote was unanimous.
City manager Mark Sorensen and the fire chief asked the council to approve three new full‑time firefighter positions to serve as floaters, which staff said would plug vacancies that otherwise are filled with mandatory overtime. The fire chief described a steady rise in forced holdovers — from an average of 22 per month in 2024 to 39 per month so far in 2026 — and said that sustained forced overtime damages employee health, increases injuries and workers’ compensation risk, and undermines retention.
The chief recommended hiring three floaters to staff one extra firefighter per shift, which he said would offset vacancies nearly 100 percent of the time and interrupt the cycle of overtime. Staff estimated three new firefighters would cost roughly $480,000 in salary and benefits, generate about 245 days of overtime offset per year per floater group and reduce overtime by an estimated $369,000, yielding a net first‑year fiscal impact of about $111,000 after onboarding and training costs.
Councilmembers pressed on budget sources and asked for a follow‑up report. Sorensen said the city had adequate fund balance to cover much of the first‑year cost and that staff would return with any necessary supplemental appropriation once actuals were known. Vice Mayor Bennett requested a six‑month performance update; the chief agreed to return with results.
Councilmember comments emphasized firefighter wellness and readiness as priorities that justified the expenditure. Council voted 7–0 to approve hiring the three positions and to include the staffing allocation amendment in the budget process.
