Legislation and Funding
As part of the FireRescue1 Legislation & Funding topic, we highlight articles that will affect the bottom line of fire department budgets and operations.
The new Tazewell County Volunteer Fire Company organizes all 170 volunteers and 11 stations under three battalion chiefs, funded by a 4.7% meals tax, with plans to add a paid part-time engine crew by spring to address staffing shortages
Virginia Beach’s “compassionate billing” program, which doesn’t charge residents co-pays or deductibles, funded seven new ambulances and 43 new EMS hires while distributing $4.2 million to volunteer rescue squads that had struggled to keep pace with rising equipment costs
With a hypothetical $2 million budget surplus, readers put people first, followed by new stations, apparatus and safety gear, while a few made the case for saving the money or spending it on morale
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed House Bill 2014, letting 14- and 15-year-old volunteers train until 10 p.m. on weekends and summer breaks instead of 9 p.m. and ride in emergency vehicles to calls
Facing a $2.2 million budget shortfall driven by low Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, Baraboo and surrounding municipalities agreed to raise their combined contributions from 18% to 37% of the district’s budget
Wells City Council will consider selling a surplus fire engine to help offset repair costs for the aerial ladder truck, part of a broader discussion on supporting the city’s volunteer fire department
Union President Jeremy Garrett says closing Station 82, centrally located covering the airport and Columbia Basin College would stretch crews to three-person teams and expand response times as the city tries to close a $14 million budget gap
Find opportunities that connect your community’s needs with your next grant application.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the administration remains “full-bore ahead” on relocating Forest Service headquarters to Salt Lake City, closing research stations and shifting wildfire-fighting duties to a new agency, even as a federal judge blocked the plan
Local 145 accuses Councilmember Henry Foster of failing to advocate for a permanent Skyline Hills fire station, still a temporary structure after 11 years and $26 million short of funding, as the union backs his re-election opponent
Ephrata Chief Jeremy Burns told the city council that EMS needs a sustainable funding source beyond the general fund, floating a voter-approved EMS levy or utility model used in nearby cities
The state’s new fire code requires annual inspections for recalled sprinkler heads and property owner notification to local fire departments, addressing a gap exposed by the 2025 Fall River fire that killed 10 residents
The proposed authority would unify Manistee, Onekama, Stronach and Filer fire and EMS under full-time staffing, as officials cite shrinking volunteer ranks and slow mutual-aid response times to make the case for new township millages
The legislation, introduced by Gov. Maura Healey, would make Spinale eligible for paid leave retroactive to his April fall from the Fire Academy’s burn building, with the state reimbursing Chelmsford as the bill now heads to the Senate
Rep. Brenda Pugh’s Bill 2848 would provide grants of up to $25,000 every three years to small fire companies and incentivize voluntary consolidation, building on her earlier bill that offered a $6,000 tax credit for firefighters and EMS personnel
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Carroll County’s unanimous vote creates a $10 million revolving loan program to help 14 volunteer fire companies afford fire engines costing over $1 million and ladder trucks exceeding $2 million
As lawmakers leave Capitol Hill, fire departments must educate incoming members about grants, FirstNet and other federal priorities
A recent White House event raises a question that both fire and EMS leaders should ask about who is being left out
Fire Chief Austin Antrim says the library’s lack of sprinklers and aging wiring pose serious fire risks, backing a $1 million town contribution toward a $4 million renovation voters will decide
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new law raises the annual personal income tax credit from $200 to $800 starting in 2027, as volunteer ranks statewide hit a 40-year low, falling from 120,000 in 2000 to 80,000 today
Southington officials cited more than $800,000 in uncovered costs for 12 new hires, as Deputy Chief Daniel Comen warned Station No. 3 sits understaffed about 75% of the week, leaving residents waiting for mutual aid
Fire officials say Proposition 1’s proposed 50% residential property tax cut would force station closures and staffing cuts, since districts rely solely on property taxes with no access to fees or sales tax revenue
At a Rose Garden event with national fire and police organizations, President Donald Trump directed Attorney General Todd Blanche to pursue capital punishment for anyone convicted of killing a firefighter
Facing a $14.4M shortfall, Pasco’s city manager presented budget scenarios that would eliminate up to 50 and close stations, drawing packed-house opposition from residents and first responders
Chouteau fire chief Amber Williams and at least 11 volunteer firefighters quit during a council meeting after officials sought to terminate department leaders without explanation
Haverhill’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant will fund 75 new Scott SCBA packs, 116 masks and 150 cylinders, replacing gear nearing the end of its service life without relying on a city-funded capital project
Howard County’s council voted to extend up to $2,500 in annual tax credits to retired police, firefighters, correctional officers and 911 dispatchers starting in 2027, with an estimated 128 retirees becoming newly eligible
With fire truck prices up 66% since 2023 amid industry consolidation, Michigan townships are rejecting or revising fire millages, buying used apparatus and cutting custom features as lawsuits accuse manufacturers of price-fixing
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