ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Fire Rescue laid out a slimmed-down proposed budget of $230 million to county commissioners on Monday as it tries to navigate difficult financial waters due to the pandemic and recession.
The proposal represents a 6% decrease in funding compared to last year.
Orange County Fire Chief Jim Fitzgerald reported that firefighters responded to more than 126,000 incidents this year.
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They’ve also been working COVID-19 test sites and distributing masks.
The chief said the financial blow from the pandemic will prevent Orange County Fire Rescue from replacing a fire truck and constructing Fire Station 80, at least for now.
The budget does include “funding for 26 firefighter positions for a future fire station,” Fitzgerald said. That will bring the department’s total employees to 1,500 total, with about 80 vacancies still remaining.
The fire department is also proposing several new projects including a dedicated fire training facility. The current building, which is owned by the Orange County Public Schools, is 43 years old and will be torn down in a few years.
"We are one of the largest fire rescues in the state that does not have its own dedicated training facility," Fitzgerald said.
Several new fire stations are also in the works, but Station 87 at Avalon Park Boulevard and Crown Hill Boulevard, is under construction and scheduled to open in October.
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The Department plans to break ground on Station 68, which will be located at South Goldenrod and Silverpointe, around that time. It is expected to open a year from now.
During a news conference Monday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said the county budget will remain flat or slightly reduced, “another casualty to the pandemic.”
See the full news conference below:
ORANGE COUNTY GIVES UPDATE ON COVID-19WATCH LIVE: Orange County leaders are providing the latest information on COVID-19. Read more here: at.wftv.com/2NXAtH1
Posted by WFTV Channel 9 on Monday, July 6, 2020
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