Kissimmee approves firefighter schedule overhaul, adds property fee to fund plan

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3 days ago

The Brief
Kissimmee firefighters will soon work 24 hours on, 72 off — a Central Florida first.
The city will hire 49 more firefighters and charge property owners to fund it.
Leaders say it's about morale and retention; critics worry about cost burdens.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Kissimmee Fire Department is set to become the first in Central Florida to adopt a 24/72 shift schedule, offering firefighters an extra day of rest without a pay cut — a move city officials say will improve morale and retention, though it comes at a cost to property owners.
What we know
Kissimmee city commissioners approved a measure Tuesday for a yearly fire assessment paid by property owners citywide.
Every property owner will pay a base $105 assessment per property plus 56¢ per $1,000 of improvements per property. It takes effect in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
The city said the reason for the assessment is to increase public safety by hiring 49 new firefighters. The new hires will allow the city to give firefighters an extra day of rest. Instead of the current 24 hours on 48 hours off, KFD will move to 24 hours on 72 hours off.
KFD will become the first department in Central Florida to use the new shift schedule. Only a handful of other departments are on the 24-72 schedule statewide, including Gainesville.
The chief expects the change will boost morale, improve recruitment and promote retention.
What we don't know
It remains to be seen how the new assessment will affect the local housing market, especially renters. City leaders haven't detailed whether additional funding mechanisms will be needed long-term to sustain the expanded staff.
By the numbers
Starting in the next fiscal year on Oct. 1, property owners will be charged a base fee of $105 per parcel, plus an additional 56 cents for every $1,000 in property improvements. For a typical homeowner, that could mean about $200 annually. The city expects the assessment to generate $6.1 million.
What they're saying
The City Commission voted 4-1 Tuesday to implement the new schedule, which will reduce firefighters' average workweek from 56 to 42 hours. The change will require the city to hire 49 additional firefighters, prompting the approval of a new fire services assessment to cover the $6 million price tag.
"This is truly the best option to give us the best recovery, to give the best time with our families, and to truly help the citizens of Kissimmee," KFD firefighter and union president Joshua Clark said.
"It will keep [firefighters] from going to other fire departments, so we'll have five-year, 10-year, 15-year firefighters," KFD Chief Jim Walls said.
"That benefits the whole citizenry when you have a 15-year firefighter paramedic taking care of your family than constantly having 2 or 3-year firefighters taking care of your family."
"We keep growing as a community," Mayor Jackie Espinosa said. "Our city keeps expanding, and we just need to be ahead of it."
"The things that I've seen, the heartbreaking stories that my husband has spared me from, the emotional weight that they carry home, these are burdens most of us will never truly understand," one KFD firefighter's wife said during public comment.
The other side
A handful of property owners asked commissioners why the city couldn't find funding elsewhere.
"I want to understand why it's not already included in what we pay already for taxes," one homeowner said.
"Congratulations, you guys have put us in a stranglehold with our taxes," one man said.
Commissioner Carlos Alvarez III was the only one to vote against the assessment.
"I think it's going to be a burden to renters, real estate folks and property owners," Alvarez III said."
What's next
The city expects to hire the 49 firefighters in two phases. The chief said the goal is for them to be on the streets by April 1, 2026. Property owners will see the assessment starting this next fiscal year.
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The Source
FOX 35 News attended the Kissimmee City Commission meeting on June 3. The crew spoke with city officials for data on the story and heard from speakers during public comment. The crew also conducted several interviews of stakeholders.