Fire Rescue seeks 30 firefighters for new Beachwalk station as budget planners watch reserves

Fire Rescue leadership told commissioners the department is preparing for a large expansion tied to new stations and rising call volume. The department requested 35 FTEs for FY27 — 30 of them to staff the Beachwalk station alone — and additional administrative and training positions to support rapid growth.

Presenters said Fire Rescue already manages multiple budgets (fire operations, EMS, marine rescue, communications and an interoperable radio system) and that personnel is the dominant cost driver (about 80% of operating budgets). The consolidated FY27 request for the department was presented as roughly $123,705,923 across those funds; the singled‑out fire budget was cited at about $86 million and EMS at roughly $28 million.

Chief leadership emphasized operational outcomes to justify investments: the department reported roughly 240 cardiac arrests with a 44% rate of return of spontaneous circulation and an 18% rate of hospital discharge with neuro‑intact outcomes, exceeding national averages. The addition of medic units and field blood transfusion capability were credited with improved survival.

Commissioners probed how early hiring for stations affects reserves and the timing of full annualized costs. Staff noted the board is modeling FY27 reserves (a preliminary $17 million figure was discussed) and that hiring early is intended to allow training and promotion timelines to be met before stations open. The SAFER federal grant was discussed as a potential temporary source to partially fund new firefighter salaries, but speakers cautioned it is competitive and temporary; long‑term sustainability remains the county’s responsibility.

No formal action or vote occurred in the workshop; the staffing and capital requests will be integrated into the county’s budget deliberations in July and the public hearing process.