FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — The Allen County Fire & EMS District is asking the Allen County Council to approve its proposed $48,988,990 budget for 2027 as the county moves toward the district’s planned Jan. 1 launch.
Executive Fire Chief Jeremy Bush outlined the budget and the district’s case for moving forward in a letter to council members Sept. 28. The district said the budget is the result of planning meetings with county officials, local governments and residents.
The proposed 2027 budget is $1,240,392, or about 2.6%, higher than the combined 2026 approved budgets of the four districts and territory, according to the district. Services and charges are expected to decrease about 24% under consolidation.
The district says the plan includes a five- to seven-year cost forecast, a review of capital needs and a staffing and deployment model.
Bush also addressed proposals to delay or alter the consolidation. The letter says about 50 working days would remain between an Oct. 19 council vote and Jan. 1, leaving limited time to redesign and implement an alternative. The district says that work would include budgets, financial systems, software, records, billing, EMS compliance, hiring and staffing.
The district says the proposed consolidation would standardize service and costs across Allen County. It also says an eight-minute response standard is achievable countywide, while the four-minute standard in NFPA 1710 is not. The plan calls for at least three personnel at stations that currently operate with two or no dedicated staffing.
The district’s documents also address a possible temporary funding arrangement for southeast Allen County. The district estimates a stopgap providing minimum 24/7 coverage would require about $2.16 million in personnel costs alone, or $919,608 more than the proposed district’s overall year-over-year budget increase.
Bush said the district has built accountability measures into the plan, including bringing any 2027 budget category changes back to the County Council for discussion. The letter also notes that the budget still requires approval from the council and the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.
The Allen County Fire & EMS District is scheduled to begin operations Jan. 1, 2027.
