Emergency services outline firefighter staffing request, equipment leases and questions about 2.9‑mill fund accounting

Chief Smith, the county emergency services presenter, told the committee the department had adjusted several line items across multiple funds and was seeking committee consideration of personnel and capital proposals for FY27. Chief Smith and Scott (emergency management) explained fund‑level changes, a proposed staffing trade‑off and a longer-range apparatus replacement plan.

Emergency services asked for one new full‑time firefighter to even out 24‑hour shifts (two shifts with 16 personnel and one with 15) and proposed offsetting part of the cost by reducing 3–4 part‑time shifts. Scott described a restructuring that would convert several grant‑funded or part‑time roles into full‑time posts (emergency manager, deputy emergency manager/radiological officer, emergency planner) and convert a part‑time radio programming/maintenance technician to a full‑time role to address persistent radio‑system issues.

Budget line changes the presenters highlighted included moving helicopter and ground‑transport insurance from a volunteer incentive line into the professional line item so staff and all volunteers are covered, and increasing the commission honorarium by $200 to account for two additional commissioners. The fund 20 (2.9‑mil) presentation included new items such as Active 911 software and a responder awards/retention line.

Committee members pressed staff about transfers and personnel charged to the 2.9‑mil fund: one member said a $550,000 transfer from the community health and welfare account appeared to be paying some firefighter salaries from the 2.9 fund and asked that those employees and the $550,000 be moved into the general fund to avoid undercounting general‑fund obligations. Staff acknowledged the need to reconcile fund worksheets and indicated finance is working to clarify where several employees and payroll lines are recorded.

On capital, emergency services presented a 3‑year capital replacement look that noted six tankers recently delivered, ongoing capital lease payments for tankers, an SCBA capital lease with the last payment due in August 2026, and estimated pumpers at $606,000–$650,000 without equipment. Committee members urged staggering purchases to avoid clustered replacements and recommended producing an inventory and a longer‑range purchase schedule to reduce parts‑obsolescence and maintenance risk.

The committee asked that staff and finance reconcile the 2.9‑mil fund personnel lines, provide detailed worksheets showing who is charged to which fund, and develop a clearer multi‑year capital plan; no final budget approval or fund reassignments were adopted at the meeting.