San Antonio Fire Department proposes $469 million FY2027 budget, seeks fee increases and nine new uniform positions

Valerie Frosto, San Antonio fire chief, told the council the department’s proposed FY2027 operating budget is $469,000,000 and would support just over 2,000 positions across suppression, EMS, prevention and special operations.

Frosto said the department’s operating priorities are to maintain response capacity as the city grows and to invest in personnel training, recruitment and wellness. “Our goal is 8 minutes or less for the first unit on scene,” she said, noting current performance runs slightly above that benchmark and that an upcoming needs assessment should clarify additional investments to lower response times.

The presentation outlined proposed fee changes intended to recover service costs: an EMS transport fee increase from $1,500 to $1,700, a revised approach to billing for medical supplies (a flat $49 per transport), and a new ‘lift‑assist’ fee aimed at recovering the cost when crews respond but no medical transport is required. Frosto said those adjustments, together with other prevention‑fee updates, are projected to generate over $3,100,000; fire prevention fee updates were expected to yield just under $2,000,000 annually.

On expenditures the chief described roughly $3.7 million in reductions—largely from overtime management—paired with a $1.6 million investment to create nine uniform positions: one fire inspector dedicated to annual school AED inspections and eight roles to strengthen training, education and recruitment. Frosto also flagged a $13.7 million line tied to the collective bargaining agreement and a 5% wage increase.

Council members pressed for details on how fees would be billed and whether the changes risk deterring emergency calls. Frosto said the lift assist would be billed to facilities (not individual residents) and that the department expects the program to have minimal impact on operations. Councilmember concerns about response times prompted staff to commit to share the needs‑assessment timeline and further analysis of how staffing and specific investments would affect the 8‑minute target.

Frosto closed by summarizing station capital work under way—several station projects are in land acquisition, design or construction—and reiterated that the budget is designed to preserve frontline capacity while shifting some discretionary spending to support strategic priorities.