Fire chief: $33.8M hit to fire fund would mean fewer ambulances, deferred stations

Fire Chief Matt Kinley told the board the department's total budget is about $147,000,000 and that "a 23% reduction to revenues would equate to approximately $33,800,000." He described rapid cost increases for key apparatus, equipment and supplies (tower trucks, stretchers, fuel, radios and bunker gear) and said that the department has invested in station construction and fleet renewal in recent years to improve reliability and response.

Kinley outlined a phased plan if Amendment 3 were to pass: pause or defer capital projects, use reserves to maintain services as long as possible, implement hiring freezes and accept attrition that would eliminate whole shifts of personnel. He described the likely operational effects: loss of the 'fourth' firefighter on some apparatus, removal of peak-load rescue units, increased response times, decreased ambulance capacity and risk to ISO ratings that can affect insurance markets.

Commissioners asked about mutual aid and regional impacts. Kinley and staff warned that reductions in municipal capacity would likely pull shared resources back to home agencies and further reduce countywide capacity. The chief emphasized that prevention and community paramedicine programs are among the earlier losses and that some specialized capabilities could be eliminated entirely.