Public Safety Committee | September 1, 2026

The City of Fort Worth Public Safety Committee convened on September 1, 2026, to discuss updates on the Fire and EMS departments, including staffing, system performance, and proposed fee adjustments for the FY27 budget. Interim Fire Chief James Horton provided detailed information on recruitment efforts, retention challenges, and operational metrics such as response times and unit hour utilization. The committee reviewed proposed fee increases including a 5% rise in permits and inspection fees, a new lift assist fee of approximately $750 for non-emergency responses at licensed care facilities, and a 2% increase in EMS transport fees in line with state legislation. Two options for increasing standby and event fees were presented: a modest 5% increase or a more substantial 66% increase to better reflect actual costs. Committee members expressed concerns about the impact of higher fees on smaller nonprofit events and requested further benchmarking and cost analysis before making a decision. The committee agreed to receive additional information via email and consider the fee adjustments separately from the main budget process to meet the September 15th deadline for fee ordinance adoption. The meeting also included recognition of EMS personnel for successful cardiac arrest responses and discussion of ongoing efforts to improve public access to AEDs.