Commissioner: Brevard County spent $7M of taxpayer money on firefighter overtime

Brevard County firefighter funding battle continues

A Brevard County commissioner says more than $7 million in taxpayer funds has been used for firefighter overtime. The numbers are rising as the county continues to struggle to staff its stations.The fire union says people aren?t staying because the pay is too low. Firefighter pay starts at $15 an hour in the county, and staffing isn?t the only struggle.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Brevard County has had to pay firefighters more than $7 million in overtime pay as staffing struggles persist.

The new numbers came out during a County Commission meeting on Tuesday. The numbers were shared by District 1 County Commissioner Katie Delaney.

Delaney said she wanted to share the data, because she wanted the public to see how much the staffing problem is costing taxpayers.

And Delaney says the county isn’t only over spending because there isn’t enough staff. She said she's concerned about the entire budget.

Why are firefighters leaving?

The backstory:

Over the past few months, FOX 35 News has been reporting on the fire retention issues. The union has hosted several rallies, and firefighters are currently working without a contract.

The fire union says people aren’t staying because the pay is too low.

In addition to the $7.2 million in mandatory overtime pay, firefighters also worked 24,000 hours of mandated overtime.

But, the county still hasn’t found money in its budget as firefighters keep leaving because of the low pay.

What they're saying:

"You look at the total, and you’re like, ‘Holy crap!’ and then the money that goes with it is crazy!" said Christy Fleming, who’s a retired firefighter and now the event coordinator with the fire union.

Fleming says 79 positions need to be filled right now, and firefighters filling in on so much overtime simply isn’t safe.

"We’re not eating," said Fleming, whose husband is still a firefighter for the county. "We’re not getting enough sleep, and when you’re not getting enough sleep, it’s just as bad as being a drunk driver … It’s not safe for us. It’s not safe for the public, and it’s not safe for our families. … It's not acceptable. It's disgusting."

"Are there other procedures?" Delaney asked. "Are there other ways we could do things that could be more efficient? … Maybe we should look outside of our vendors of record."

"No, we don’t need to increase the taxes," said Thea, a citizen who spoke on the issue during the County Commission meeting. "The people already pay enough taxes."

County dealing with additional struggles

Dig deeper:

Firefighter pay starts at $15 an hour in the county, and staffing isn’t the only struggle.

New emergency vehicles are needed, and new fire stations need to be built.

Safety’s the biggest concern as commissioners continue to listen to the public’s pleas.

Is there another way to fund the firefighters?

What's next:

Delaney said she doesn’t want to see all the burden put on taxpayers, so she’s investigating other ways to free up funds.

To try and find more funding for firefighters, commissioners are studying possible impact fee hikes for developers.

They also voted to look into a possible fire assessment hike for homeowners in the county.

The county is having public budget meetings in late February and March. That’s where the public can get involved by letting commissioners know what’s important for them to fund.

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