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.
With 63% voting against the 1% sales tax that would have expanded the city’s own fire department to 24/7 service, Valley Center will now join Sedgwick County’s Fire District 1, saving an estimated $7.1 million in equipment and facility costs
Walker’s failed 1.75-mill, 10-year levy would have funded round-the-clock staffing at all three fire stations and a new police facility, as the city grapples with growing population pressure on emergency response capacity
Wadsworth’s five-year measure raises the EMS levy from 3 to 4 mills, generating about $2.52 million annually, as voters also approved cutting the city’s fire levy to help offset the increase amid surging emergency call volumes
The new law, which also presumes fentanyl as cause of death in related overdose cases, aims to track the state’s fentanyl crisis, but recovery advocates warn it could discourage people from calling 911 and leaves implementation details unresolved
The program lets candidates with partial certifications earn $71,966 while completing paramedic training, as Dearborn works to hire 16 firefighters and raise staffing to its highest level in 119 years amid a statewide paramedic shortage
State Sen. Peter Oberacker secured the discretionary funding toward a new consolidated firehouse and emergency shelter on South Main Street, as the district reports a recent surge in volunteer recruitment above its enrollment goals
The city council approved a $690,619 federal grant and $500,000 in Measure P funds for a Moose Boat M3-36, after a March dock fire exposed a response gap when Vallejo had to call fireboats from Tiburon and San Rafael
Clinton Township’s agreement with IAFF Local 1381 lets the fire department hire EMTs instead of requiring paramedic certification, aiming to save hundreds of thousands annually after staffing shortages drove nearly $1 million in overtime costs amid Michigan’s paramedic shortage
Lowell’s unanimous vote aims to move the understaffed fire department toward its goal of 213 full-time firefighters and curb overtime costs that have threatened to exceed $4 million annually, amid ongoing station brownouts and sick leave disputes
The ballot measure would merge Pearl Fire Protection District into Spring Creek Fire Protection District, giving Spring Creek legal jurisdiction to improve service in Pearl, where it has already served as the contracted department for 25 years
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
These are challenging times to be a first responder; your support is welcome and appreciated
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
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