News Summary
New Orleans’ firefighters and emergency medical services have presented budget requests to the City Council, citing severe staffing shortages and challenges. The proposed Fire Department budget is $135.3 million, with significant allocations to payroll and overtime. Similarly, EMS seeks $18.75 million, emphasizing personnel funding. The departments face a high turnover rate, impacting 911 response times. Both budget proposals will be reviewed by the City Council this fall.
New Orleans firefighters and emergency medical services are seeking budget adjustments from the City Council amid significant staffing shortages and recent incidents that highlight the challenges facing these essential services. The request includes proposals for increased pay, overtime, and cuts to daily operating costs.
The New Orleans Fire Department has submitted a General Fund budget request of $135.3 million for 2026, which marks an increase of $2.8 million from this year. A majority of this budget—$133.3 million—is allocated to payroll, while day-to-day operating expenses are reduced to $2.05 million. The Fire Department’s budget also sets aside $3.5 million for overtime and anticipated pension growth, which will be offset by hiring freezes and reductions in unclassified pay.
Additionally, the Fire Department is looking for $6.93 million from outside the General Fund, primarily sourced from federal grants, which represents an increase of nearly $2.9 million.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has requested $18.75 million from the General Fund, an increase of $1.62 million. The proposed budget includes a plan to allocate more funds to personnel, raising personal services from $11.72 million to $14.97 million, while reducing operating costs from $5.40 million to $3.78 million. Similar to the Fire Department, EMS has budgeted $3.5 million for overtime, with expected savings stemming from cuts to unclassified pay and a hiring freeze on classified positions.
Outside the General Fund, EMS is also seeking $2.54 million, which is a modest increase of $50,000 and includes funding from opioid-abatement initiatives.
The 40% turnover rate reported by New Orleans EMS last year is a serious concern, driven by factors such as attacks on medics, pandemic-related burnout, and competition from the private sector. Currently, more than 20% of EMS positions are unfilled, significantly impacting the department’s ability to respond to urgent 911 calls. Their compliance rate for high-priority 911 calls within 12 minutes is 63%, a noticeable decline from 77% a decade ago and far below the national standard of 90%.
During recent budget hearings, the City Council heard troubling statistics showing that the turnover rate has surged from 17% five years ago to 40% in 2021. As a response to these challenges, EMS has begun implementing a self-defense program for employees and is considering equipping staff with body-worn cameras to enhance safety.
In a related incident that underscores the risks faced by EMS personnel, a woman identified as Valerie Barron stole an ambulance in the Tulane area while an EMS crew was occupied assisting a patient. Following erratic behavior, she was arrested and is facing charges that include simple kidnapping and various traffic offenses. Barron is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at a local hospital.
The proposals for budget changes from both the Fire Department and EMS will undergo review as the City Council prepares for final adoption later this fall. However, the Cantrell administration’s budget indicates a general trend of decreased spending on EMS personnel to reflect current staffing levels and operational realities.
Emergency medical staff are grappling with increasing responsibilities and challenges, coinciding with high demand for services, limited availability from competing health service providers, and continued systemic pressures.
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Additional Resources
- The Center Square
- Wikipedia: Emergency medical services
- EMS1
- Google Search: New Orleans EMS turnover rate
- NOLA.com
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Ambulance
- WDSU
- Google News: New Orleans fire department budget
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