SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Sarasota County Fire Department is proposing a tax increase to ensure necessary public safety services are adequately funded.

“We must be attentive to taxpayers, expand the fire department within their expectations, and ensure it’s something they can afford,” stated Chief David Rathbun.

The department is suggesting a 13% hike in fire assessment rates, linked to a home’s square footage. With aims to boost staffing, the chief acknowledged the need to improve response times. Firefighters are trained as EMTs, posing a challenge as the same personnel handle calls for both services.

“When all crews are engaged with a fire, and the station is vacant, responding to someone like Mr. and Mrs. Smith having a cardiac arrest requires fire trucks from distant locations,” explained Chief Rathbun. “A delay of each minute reduces the patient’s survival chance by 10%. Thus, longer distances can quickly decrease the likelihood of a positive outcome.”

New neighborhoods require fire stations, and existing stations overwhelmed with calls need more units. Rathbun noted that reaching emergencies is among the riskiest tasks they perform.

“Running lights and sirens is inherently dangerous, so if we can deploy the necessary firefighter numbers using fewer trucks, we minimize community risk and the chance of vehicle accidents,” Rathbun added.

It’s a growing area, and growing costs are inevitable, but the chief said these increases can be the difference in saving lives.