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Hardeeville pitches 'Project Phoenix' to run fire and EMS for southern Jasper County
Summary
City of Hardeeville officials presented 'Project Phoenix,' a proposal to assume fire and emergency medical services for Jasper County's southern area. The city's draft shows its operating budget rising from $9.3 million to about $12.8 million; after projected EMS reimbursements, the city estimates a net additional funding need of roughly $2.9 million that it says the county would reimburse under contract.
Hardeeville officials told Jasper County council members at a July 7 workshop that the city can consolidate fire and emergency medical services in the county's southern unincorporated area and improve response times while reducing duplicated resources.
"We believe we can provide as good if not better response times and service coverage for a more cost-effective price," said Josh, a city official leading the presentation, urging the council to supply detailed county financial data so the parties could complete a full comparison.
Deputy Chief Jonathan Beckmire, the city's operations deputy, said the current system routes emergency responses by jurisdiction rather than proximity, a design he said causes avoidable delays. "Project Phoenix is the path forward," Beckmire said, describing two models: Model A, an operational realignment with targeted resource adjustments; and Model B, a higher-performance option that would add additional ambulance capacity.
Thad Wilson, a consultant with Water Street Public Finance, presented the city's draft budget numbers. Using the city's draft fiscal 2026–27 budget as a baseline, Wilson said expanding service to the proposed area would increase the city's operating budget from about $9.3 million to roughly $12.8 million — a $3.5 million increase driven largely by personnel and ambulance costs. After assuming higher EMS reimbursement revenue tied to increased call volume (Wilson estimated a net EMS revenue uptick of roughly $584,000), the city's net additional funding need was about $2.9 million, which the city said it would seek as reimbursement from the county under a contract.
Wilson outlined key line items: roughly 12 additional EMS positions and nine fire staff for Model A (about 21 new hires total), supplies and one-time capital costs in the low hundreds of thousands, and a modeled purchase of a new ALS ambulance with a five-year payment in the neighborhood of $145,000 per year.
County counsel Lawrence Flynn cautioned that while the city's numbers show one side of the ledger, "we have a math problem and a service problem," meaning the county must determine how redeploying or retaining existing county personnel north of the proposed boundary would affect its costs. Flynn emphasized the county's statutory obligation to provide fire and EMS in unincorporated areas absent a contract and said the council must decide whether the city's proposed net cost fits the county budget.
Several council members expressed concern that the county had not yet provided the property-valuation and revenue details the city requested, and said that without those figures they could not evaluate affordability before the July 1 fiscal-year deadline. "I'm concerned about the funding, number one," said Councilman Kemp, arguing for a simpler initial plan and a six- to nine-month review board to assess performance after implementation.
City and county participants discussed operational options: the city would operate existing stations in Levy and other locations and temporarily place an ambulance at ME Road until a proposed Station 82 is built; the county could redeploy ambulances to the north, and the city would purchase an additional ambulance in the model presented. The parties also noted potential county savings from closing or repurposing county stations and the long-term possibility of reducing duplicate millage on residents who would be served by the city.
The workshop concluded with a request from the chair that attorneys and staff draft a proposed contract describing service levels and county reimbursement; council members then voted to move into a joint executive session to continue negotiations and to discuss next procedural steps.
Next steps: staff from both jurisdictions were asked to provide the detailed valuation and revenue figures the city requested, attorneys were asked to prepare draft contract language, and council members discussed scheduling a future workshop or vote pending receipt and review of the county financial data.
