REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 10, 2025
FROM
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
2025-26 Budget for San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District:
1. Conduct a public hearing on San Bernardino County Fire Protection District’s 2025-26 Recommended Budget.
2. Adopt Resolution to approve and adopt:
a. San Bernardino County Fire Protection District’s 2025-26 Budget, including appropriation, operating transfers out, contributions to reserves, available reserves, budgeted staffing, and authorization for final fund balance adjustments as described in Attachment A.
b. Any changes to the Recommended Budget that the Board of Directors may direct.
i. In the event that the Board of Directors makes any additions or deletions to the Budget after the public hearing, and the items were not proposed in writing and filed with the Secretary of the Board of Directors before close of the public hearing, a 4/5 vote of the Board of Directors is required.
3. Approve the classification actions detailed in Changes to the Recommended Budget of Attachment B.
(Presenter: Dan Munsey, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, 387-5779)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). San Bernardino County Fire Protection District’s (SBCFPD) 2025-26 Recommended Budget, as presented in the Recommended Budget Book, includes total Requirements of $446.7 million and Budgeted Staffing of 1,234 positions for operations. Also included in the 2025-26 Recommended Budget is $51.2 million in Requirements associated with reserve usage to fund appropriation in SBCFPD’s operating and capital funds, as well as $10.3 million of Net County Cost that was previously approved by the Board of Directors and Board of Supervisors on October 22, 2024 (Item No. 67).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
SBCFPD is a community-based, all hazard emergency services organization that covers approximately 19,000 square miles and serves more than 60 communities/cities within four Regional Service Zones (Mountain, North Desert, South Desert, and Valley). SBCFPD provides emergency mitigation and management for fire suppression, emergency medical services, ambulance services, hazardous materials responses and household hazardous waste disposal, community safety services including fire prevention and review of building construction plans/permits, arson investigation (including a canine program), flooding and mudslide cleanup, winter rescue operations, hazard abatement, and providing advanced awareness and response to terrorism/weapons of mass destruction.
As presented in the Recommended Budget Book, the following table displays the 2025-26 Recommended Budget for SBCFPD Operations (Requirements and Budgeted Staffing), which includes the base amount and any new items for 2025-26:
|
Budget Unit |
2024-25 Modified |
2025-26 Recommended |
Change |
|
Requirements |
|
|
|
|
Administration |
$70,688,586 |
$62,182,494 |
($8,506,092) |
|
Mountain Regional Service Zone |
$30,348,437 |
$33,174,868 |
$2,826,431 |
|
North Desert Regional Service Zone |
$63,749,912 |
$68,700,108 |
$4,950,196 |
|
South Desert Regional Service Zone |
$37,481,343 |
$44,670,051 |
$7,188,708 |
|
Valley Regional Service Zone |
$185,327,550 |
$194,070,656 |
$8,743,106 |
|
Emergency Medical Services |
$26,252,165 |
$26,104,826 |
($147,339) |
|
Hazardous Materials |
$13,074,666 |
$13,585,759 |
$511,093 |
|
Household Hazardous Waste |
$4,266,636 |
$4,236,402 |
($30,234) |
|
Total Requirements |
$431,189,295 |
$446,725,164 |
$15,535,869 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Budgeted Staffing |
|
|
|
|
Administration |
358 |
367 |
9 |
|
Mountain Regional Service Zone |
74 |
72 |
(2) |
|
North Desert Regional Service Zone |
141 |
141 |
0 |
|
South Desert Regional Service Zone |
63 |
63 |
0 |
|
Valley Regional Service Zone |
371 |
371 |
0 |
|
Emergency Medical Services |
141 |
141 |
0 |
|
Hazardous Materials |
53 |
54 |
1 |
|
Household Hazardous Waste |
25 |
25 |
0 |
|
Total Budgeted Staffing |
1,226 |
1,234 |
8 |
|
Note: Not reflected in the 2025-26 Requirements shown above are $51.2 million in Reserves Requirements that are used to fund appropriation in the budget units shown in the table above. There is no budgetary contribution to reserves. |
Total budgeted Requirements of $446.7 million for 2025-26 reflect an increase of $15.5 million from the prior fiscal year. This increase, which is primarily for the costs to maintain service, includes the following significant changes:
• $19.6 million increase in Staffing Expenses, including 10 new positions and two deletions.
• $13.6 million increase in Operating Expenses.
• $1.9 million increase in Operating Transfers Out.
• $6.2 million decrease in Capital Expenditures.
• $13.4 million increase in Reimbursements.
The total Budgeted Staffing of 1,234 for 2025-26 includes the addition of 10 new positions to support emergency management functions, administrative functions, and training operations and the deletion of two positions as there are sufficient position numbers and maximum head counts of each classification to provide for staffing of the Paid Call Firefighter stations.
Attachment B reflects changes to the Recommended Budget, which includes the establishment of a new classification, and technical title changes.
Recommendation No. 1 calls for the public hearing for the 2025-26 Recommended Budget, as required by Health and Safety Code sections 13890 through 13895 and Government Code sections 29080 and 29081. Prior to adopting SBCFPD’s 2025-26 budget, a notice was published at least two weeks before the date of the public hearing in at least one newspaper of general circulation within SBCFPD, setting the date of the public hearing for the purpose of making a determination regarding this Recommended Budget. The Recommended Budget documents were made available in the Secretary of the Board of Directors’ (Board) office on May 20, 2025, for the public, and the public hearing is occurring at least 10 days after the documents were made available. The notice further sets forth that any member of the public may appear at the hearing and be heard regarding any item in the Recommended Budget or for inclusion of additional items. All proposals should be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Board before the close of the public hearing.
The public hearing is designed to discuss and implement any direction or changes to the Recommended Budget. Any request for increases, decreases or omission of any item in the budget or inclusion of any additional items shall not be made after the public hearing, unless the items were proposed in writing and filed with the Secretary of the Board before the close of the public hearing or unless approved by the Board by a 4/5 vote.
Recommendation No. 2 is for approval and adoption of SBCFPD’s 2025-26 Recommended Budget. Attachment A lists the 2025-26 Recommended Budget for appropriation, operating transfers out, contributions to reserves, available reserves, and budgeted staffing.
Recommendation No. 3 is for approval of certain classification actions as listed in Attachment B, which lists additional classification actions for 2025-26.
The Recommended Budget, including Attachments A and B, satisfies the requirements set forth in Health and Safety Code sections 13890 et seq. and Government Code section 29089.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Resources (Gina King, Assistant Director, 387-5571) on May 22, 2025; County Counsel (Rick Luczak, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 16, 2025; Finance (Ivan Ramirez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4020) on May 16, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on May 22, 2025. This item has also been coordinated with the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Mima Ugbo, Deputy Chief Controller, 382-3195) on May 22, 2025.