When a fire alarm sounds, we do not stop to ask whether the firefighters have the latest equipment, proper training or enough personnel to handle the crisis. We assume they do. But in St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch’s proposed budget, that assumption no longer holds true. Our fire department is being asked to do more with less, and the cost of underfunding it will be measured not only in property loss but in lives.

Funding for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue has already taken a hit by the mayor’s administration this year, and the hits keep coming:

  • Equipment. The mayor’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, which starts Oct. 1, has eliminated the annual contribution for the fire department’s bunker gear. This is the oxygen supply and other protective gear that you see our firefighters put on when responding to an emergency. Several years ago, the City made a commitment to add $325,000 to this fund every year so that the oldest gear is regularly being replaced. For next year, the mayor’s proposed contribution is zero. 
  • Personnel. Recruitment is a critical pipeline ensuring that the fire department has enough staffing to protect our city. Yet the mayor’s administration cut half of the department’s cadet positions to fund a new emergency management position this year. While emergency management is another important aspect of the department, this position should be funded in addition to other staffing, not by reducing 50% of a valuable recruiting resource. The administration has no plan to reinstate those positions in the next fiscal year. Funding for the fire department should always be a matter of addition, never subtraction. 
  • Communication. Communication with the public and the media is a valuable service that keeps our residents informed of the fire department’s activities. This year, the mayor’s administration cut the department’s only public information officer position to fund a new lieutenant of special projects position. For comparison, the police department has a team of three for communications; the fire department now has zero. Again, the additional position may be needed, but the only acceptable math here is addition. 

Supporting our fire department is about protecting those who protect us. Firefighting remains one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Without proper equipment and sufficient personnel, the risks to firefighters increase dramatically – and so does the risk of loss of life and property. 

Properly funding our fire department is not a luxury. It should never be treated as a discretionary item to be trimmed when budgets tighten. It is a fundamental responsibility of local government and a reflection of a community’s priorities. If public safety is not at the top of that list, then what is?

The St. Petersburg City Council is scheduled to hold the first public hearing to adopt the tentative 2025-26 budget at 6 p.m. Sept. 11. In a proposed operating budget of more than $967 million, surely we can find less than $1 million to make the essential investments in our fire department and avoid these unnecessary cuts.

The choice is stark but simple: Invest in our fire department now, or pay a far higher price later. Lives, homes and entire communities depend on it.