Cuts by City/County
The following cuts to your safety have already been made
Cocoa Beach Fire Department: Elimination of 1 firefighter/paramedic, reducing staffing levels on one shift. Training budget is slashed by 20%.
Collier County EMS: 5 workers fired
Eustis Fire Department: Tax payers in the north and northwest areas of Eustis have had their new fire station eliminated from the budget. They will continue to pay the same taxes as the rest of Eustis, but not have equal services.
Jacksonville Fire-Rescue: Will revert to a 2007 budget reducing plan that would have closed three fire stations and eliminated several apparatus and positions. 2007 plan avoided due to implementation of fees by the City of Jacksonville.
Lake Tech Fire Academy: This educational facility at a charter school of the Lake County School Board has slashed 4% from its budget and are preparing for additional educational cuts.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue: 75 positions for hiring and training firefighters have been slashed. Fire Rescue has already been advised of layoffs if the amendment passes.
Oakland Park Fire Rescue: 7 total firefighter positions eliminated.
Ormond Beach: 2 firefighter positions have been eliminated. Fire inspectors have been removed and the job has been turned over to the Building Inspections Division, reducing the amount of fire inspections and endangering the public.
Oviedo: A 10% cut across the board is resulting in the loss of 6 positions, or one entire engine company.
Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue: 4 total firefighter positions eliminated. The Chief of EMS has been downgraded. Public CPR classes will no longer take place. Disaster response curtailed with elimination of the Civilian Emergency Response Team. Training programs greatly reduced.
Port Orange Fire-Rescue: 9 positions eliminated, which included a new fire station on the west side of the city. Also eliminated was a ladder truck, needed for search and rescue operations as well as serious car accidents requiring the Jaws of Life. $240,000 slashed from the budget. This money was earmarked for equipment improvement. This referendum has also forced Port Orange to look at merging with other cities, like Edgewater, Ponce Inlet, South Daytona, and New Smyrna Beach. This merger would increase response times as firehouses would be farther spread out.
Punta Gorda Fire Department: Elimination of Advanced Life Support personnel that would drastically improve initial emergency medical care to those in dire emergency situations i.e. cardiac arrest, child not breathing, etc. In addition, money to replace firefighter protective gear was reduced by 33%, money to maintain the fire enignes was slashed by 20%, and money to provide necessary training was reduced by 45%.
Reedy Creek Fire Department: The Disney Corporation has announced a major reduction in staffing to the Reedy Creek Fire Department, affecting the capabilities of the department to assist people visiting Disney property.
Sarasota County: With response times in some areas nearing 24 minutes, A comprehensive plan to provide fire and emergency medical protection has been scrapped. 29 positions were eliminated with last year's tax rollback.
Venice: Elimination of manpower that would help the department grow with the community.
