The Baltimore Sun has reported that the Baltimore City Council reviewed a proposed $362 million budget for the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) for the 2026 fiscal year during its meeting on May 30.
The proposed budget represents a 10.7% increase from the previous year’s $327 million allocation, driven in part by ongoing staffing shortages and overtime costs.
According to the budget documents, a majority of the funding — $339 million — will now come from the city’s general fund due to the elimination of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) special fund.
BCFD Chief James Wallace highlighted several key allocations within the proposed budget.
The Baltimore Sun reported that $5.2 million from the Opioid Restitution Fund will be directed to contracted EMS services, while an additional $500,000 will be used to create two positions within the Fire Code Enforcement unit.
Wallace stated that these new roles could help the fire marshal’s office improve permit review times, with staffing expected to increase from 33 to 35.
Wallace said: “Currently, we have a list of eligible candidates, and that list is two deep.”
He added: “It looks like right now, the most favorable way, the path of least resistance and most timely way would be to just go through the process [and] create those two positions.”
Wallace said the department would allocate more than $20 million to its Fire Communications and Dispatch operations.
He noted that the department is introducing new technology to support emergency response.
Wallace said: “We are now leveraging geofencing technology and artificial intelligence in our 911 call center.”
He added: “These advanced tools enable us to proactively deploy resources and monitor real-time conditions with remarkable precision.”
The department has not disclosed further technical details on these systems.
The Baltimore Sun reported that members of the City Council, including Council President Zeke Cohen, questioned BCFD leadership on the department’s plans to reduce overtime and improve hiring.
Cohen asked Wallace: “Can you describe the controls that you are putting in place to … curtail overtime, and also what you are doing to recruit and retain more EMTs, paramedics into the force so that we do not continue to have this issue of exorbitant overtime with a lot of unfilled positions?”
In response, Wallace explained that BCFD requires 307 personnel daily, made up of 242 field staff and 65 EMS workers.
He stated that shift vacancies are currently managed using an “overtime bucket” system that prioritizes employees with fewer hours already worked.
Wallace said the department tracks at least 1,000 possible recruits but declined to comment further on retention strategies, citing ongoing negotiations with the Local 734 union.
Wallace added: “I hung out the window of a McDonald’s one night on Falls Road and recruited two people from the drive-thru.”
He said: “It’s that simple. We’ve just got to approach the citizens of this city, and I think we’ve done a very good job of doing that.”
The Baltimore City Council reviewed a $362 million budget proposal for the fire department.
The proposed funding represents a 10.7% increase over the previous year.
The Baltimore Sun reported that $339 million would come from the general fund following the removal of the EMS special fund.
Federal and state grants are expected to contribute nearly $8 million.
$5.2 million from the Opioid Restitution Fund will support EMS contracts.
$500,000 is allocated to expand the Fire Code Enforcement service.
Two new inspector positions could bring fire marshal staff from 33 to 35.
Chief James Wallace said over $20 million will fund Fire Communications and Dispatch.
Wallace said the department is adopting geofencing and AI tools for 911 dispatch.
City Council President Zeke Cohen raised concerns about staff shortages and overtime.
Wallace stated the department needs 307 personnel per day to operate.
Wallace said retention plans are under union negotiation and not yet public.
