MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Firefighters are threatening to sue Miami-Dade County over the mayor’s new budget proposal.
As the county faces a $400 million budget shortfall, the fire department would have to pay millions more for running air rescue helicopters.
Metro-Dade Firefighter Union President William McAllister says Miami-Dade County is heading into a “fire rescue crisis” because the department is short nearly 40 fire, ladder and rescue trucks.
“The danger that it poses to our communities is something I’ve never seen,” he said.
McAllister said being spread out thin and responding slower can lead to fires spreading more rapidly, putting firefighters at risk and losing critical time in medical emergencies.
“Every time someone calls 911, or time is of the essence, seconds matter,” said McCallister.
As a roof partially collapsed at a Medley warehouse over the weekend, McAllister says it took longer for crews to get there. It’s those types of delayed responses that have him worried.
“It took 13 minutes, a little over 13 minutes for the first fire truck carrying water to extinguish that fire to arrive on scene,” he said.
He said the county relies on four air rescue helicopters to save lives.
“These helicopters are a godsend for those minutes matter,” he said.
Running them costs about $28 million a year, and McAllister says the county has always paid for them. However, this past budget made the fire department start covering part of it: $18 million.
Now, as the county tries to cut costs, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s new budget proposal would make the fire department pay for all of it.
If it’s passed, the fire union says it will sue. McAllister says they’re already short on engines and don’t need any other costs.
“It slowed our growth so much that her proposal this year actually puts us in a position where not only are we not opening new units, we also just announced yesterday we were closing two basic life transport units,” he said.
Levine Cava’s office said she wasn’t available for an interview but did provide a statement, which read:
“Public safety including fire rescue remains my top priority as Mayor, and I am proud that we have increased the County’s investment in public safety every year since I was elected. I am also proud to work closely with the men and women of labor who represent our incredible first responders, to ensure that our public safety teams continue to have all the resources needed to do their essential, life-saving work on behalf of our community.
“Regarding the air rescue fund, these costs were moved to the Fire Budget in the current fiscal year’s budget (FY 24-25). It is important to stress that this change has had no impact on vital fire rescue services or public safety, and the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year continues to increase funding for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue as we have done every year.”
In response, McAllister said he doesn’t know where all that money is going. He said it doesn’t pay for any equipment or any new staff.
“It’s unconscionable what they’re doing with the will of the voters 45 years later in a moment that the county needs to find dollars to cover shortfalls,” he said.
In Broward County, the county pays for all the air rescue helicopter costs with some support from hospitals, McAllister said.
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