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Okaloosa public safety presents EMS, beach‑safety and fire budgets; EMS reported solvent for FY27
Summary
At the July 21 workshop Public Safety Director Pat Maddox described emergency-management improvements, expanded community paramedicine funded by opioid‑relief dollars, increased lifeguard hourly pay funded by tourism dollars, a park‑ranger position funded by vendor fees, and said EMS is solvent this year owing to reserves and Medicaid offsets.
Pat Maddox, Okaloosa County’s director of public safety, told commissioners on July 21 that emergency management, lifeguard and EMS programs showed operational improvements and specific budget requests for FY27 that largely avoid general‑fund impacts.
Maddox reviewed emergency management accomplishments including cold‑weather sheltering coordination, a rapid shelter build during a flood event, membership in FEMA CBRNE responder initiatives and acquisition of five trailers for points of distribution at no cost. He cautioned that Rule 27P limits how emergency management budget dollars tied to grants can be reallocated without risking grant funding.
On beach safety, Maddox said there were zero drownings on guarded beaches this past year and cited preventive metrics (roughly 35 rip‑current/heavy surf rescues, down 3%; 78 lost‑child reports, all reunited). The county increased seasonal lifeguard pay to $23 per hour; the lifeguard pay increase and staffing are fully funded by the Tourist Development District, he said, with no general‑fund impact.
Maddox requested one additional park ranger to extend coverage to boat ramps and evening periods; that position would be paid from beach vendor fees, he said. The park ranger program reported 70,000 preventative contacts and just 12 citations issued in the year cited.
In EMS, Maddox said the service handled roughly 36,000 calls with 25,951 billable runs and that the county added two community paramedicine positions (a lead paramedic and a licensed clinical social worker) funded by opioid‑relief dollars; the social worker position can bill for mental‑health treatment and is expected to generate $500,000–$600,000 in revenues that will return to county funds, Maddox said. He reported FY26 EMS expenditures of about $17.27 million and a FY27 budget of about $17.78 million (+2.9%), and said reserves and Medicaid offsets made EMS solvent "for the first time" this year.
Maddox also reviewed Dorcas Fire’s transition to county oversight and volunteer recruitment; the department completed state inspections and funded equipment via special assessment and impact fees with no anticipated general‑fund impact.
Commissioners praised the public safety team’s work and asked questions about paramedicine billing, park ranger schedules (seven days/week and holidays), coordination with local governments for boat‑ramp coverage and cold‑weather sheltering. Maddox and staff committed to follow up on specific operational questions.
