The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Budget Committee approved a $6,594,143 proposed budget during its May 20 meeting, which will go before the Board of Directors at a future meeting for approval.
In his budget message, Fire Chief Nick Tyler said the 2025-2026 budget reflects an overall increase of $621,023 from the current fiscal year. Some changes in fund categories include a $587,800 increase in personnel services and benefits, a $44,500 increase in materials and services, and a $50,000 decrease in capital outlay. FireMed/Ambulance revenue is projected to be $1.7 million.
Tyler reported that some of the personnel service increases are due to the addition of a full-time administrative firefighter position (formerly the recruitment and retention position), increases of health insurance premiums (40% increase) and retirement (17%), and the increase of the union’s contract.
“The cost of insurance and retirement have increased drastically,” Tyler said in his report. “These are two areas that will require attention and cost mitigation efforts during this fiscal year.”
During the current fiscal year, SHFAD was awarded a $1.2 million grant for seismic retrofitting at Station 23, two grants totaling $18,000 for rope rescue gear, and a $35,000 grant to upstaff during fire season.
Additional grants the district applied for include $133,200 for National Fire Protection Association physicals and a $5.3 million grant for wildfire protection. The latter grant would be a portion of a larger award in partnership with Oregon Dept. of Forestry-South Cascade, Linn County Juvenile Dept., Lebanon Fire District and South Santiam Watershed Council.
Looking back over the current fiscal year, Tyler reported the Ground Emergency Medical Transportation program generated $314,005, and SHFAD responded to a record number of conflagration calls totaling $813,555 in expected revenue. The district responded to 11 conflagrations and two immediate response requests. To date, the district received $417,126 for the Oregon conflagrations and has billed California $396,429 for responses there.
The bond measure, approved in 2024, allowed the district to purchase new hand-held radios with updated technology that improves communication. It also helped fund the purchase of a house in Cascadia that will be used to house the district’s part-time and wildland programs, as well as provide quicker fire and EMS service responses in the Cascadia area. The bond will fund additional items for the district, yet to be purchased.
With the bond providing funds for needed purchases, the proposed budget does not reflect any additional major projects or items, Tyler said.
“Focusing on ways to increase revenue and decreasing costs will be a priority this coming fiscal year,” he said. “Across the public safety spectrum, we are seeing many challenges on budget with rising costs on an unsustainable trajectory. The district’s challenges are not unique in this, but the way we are continuing to seek out additional revenue streams and more efficient business practices are unique.”