Monday, May 11, 2026, 10 a.m. (Boston time), Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
Hearing on Dockets #0733-0740, FY27 Budget: BFD
The Ways & Means Committee, chaired by Councilor Weber, held a hearing on the FY2027 operating budget for the Boston Fire Department (Dockets 0733 and 20740, sponsored by Mayor Wu). Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall and department staff presented on grants, the cadet program, hybrid hiring, health and wellness initiatives, marine assets, training, and capital projects. A central concern raised by multiple councilors was the loss of a $1.4 million federal AFG grant that funded cancer screenings, body scans, and safety/health/wellness programs, with several councilors advocating for restoring that funding through a supplemental or other mechanism. Councilors also questioned the department on diversity hiring through the hybrid residency-based process, PFAS-free gear procurement, firehouse capital projects, contracted services cuts, and budget mechanics. Local 718 President Sam Dillon provided public testimony urging a $1.4–1.5 million supplemental for wellness initiatives.
2:27 good morning.
2:29 My name is ben weber.
2:31 I'm the district six city
2:32 councilor in the chair of the
2:32 ways and means committee.
2:36 Uh, today is uh, MAY 11th, 2026
2:38 and the exact time is 1002.
2:40 So, uh, I just have a few
2:41 here.
2:41 preliminaries to get through
2:43 Uh, this hearing is being
2:43 recorded.
2:44 It's also being live streamed
2:49 at boston.Gov/city council tv
2:51 and broadcast on xfinity
2:52 channel eight rcn channel 82
2:54 and five channel 964.
2:56 The council's budget review
2:58 process encompasses a series
2:59 of public hearings beginning in
3:00 APRIL and running through JUNE.
3:02 We strongly encourage the
3:04 public to participate in our
3:06 hearings and they can give
3:08 testimony uh, for the record in
3:09 several ways.
3:11 Uh, first they can attend one
3:12 of our hearings and give public
3:13 testimony.
3:15 Uh, they can uh, either do that
3:17 in person or virtually via zoom
3:17 .
3:19 Uh, for a full hearing
3:20 schedule.
3:22 Uh, look at our website.
3:23 You can find it on boston gov.
3:25 Council budget.
3:28 We also have a in-person
3:29 listening session on the fourth
3:31 of four which will be thursday
3:33 evening MAY 26th at 6 P.M.
3:33 Right here in the chamber.
3:37 Um you can give uh, testimony
3:38 again in person in any of our
3:40 hearings or at the public
3:42 listening session or by zoom.
3:45 Uh, for in-person testimony,
3:46 please come to the chamber and
3:47 sign up on the sheet near the
3:47 entrance.
3:49 For virtual testimony, you can
3:51 sign up using our online form
3:52 at our council budget review
3:54 website or by emailing the
3:57 committee at ccw and at boston
3:59 gov or by emailing chris
4:04 mitchell on it's car marco u h
4:07 a n at boston gov.
4:08 When you are called to testify
4:10 please state your name uh your
4:11 residence and your affiliation
4:12 with any organization.
4:17 Uh and uh we will uh limit the
4:18 public comments to two minutes
4:21 each uh, in lieu of testifying
4:22 virtually or in person at a
4:23 hearing, you can email written
4:27 testimony to the committee at
4:28 squirm@boston.Gov.
4:30 Uh third you can submit a two
4:32 minute video of your testimony
4:34 through the form on our website
4:36 for more information on the
4:37 city council's budget process
4:39 and how to testify, please
4:41 visit the city council's budget
4:43 website at
4:45 boston.Com/council-budget again
4:46 in person and public testimony
4:48 will be taken following the
4:49 first round of counselor
4:51 questions, individuals be
4:52 called on the order in which
4:53 they have signed up and will
4:54 have two minutes to testify.
4:56 If you wish to sign up for
4:57 public testimony you haven't
4:59 done so uh again please email
5:01 or director of legislative
5:03 budget analysis karishma cho on
5:08 at chris marco, you hand at
5:09 boston.Com for the zoom link
5:10 and your name will be added to
5:11 the list.
5:13 This morning's hearing is on
5:17 docket numbers 073320740.
5:19 An overview of the fiscal year
5:21 2027 operating budget for the
5:23 boston fire department.
5:24 this is one in a series
5:25 of hearings to review the
5:28 fiscal year 2027 budget.
5:30 These matters were sponsored by
5:31 mayor michelle wu and referred
5:34 to the committee on APRIL 8th,
5:34 2026.
5:36 This morning I'm joined by my
5:37 colleagues in order of arrival.
5:40 Apologies to
5:41 councilor louijeune but I've
5:42 got councilor flynn first.
5:44 Uh, councilor louijeune second
5:46 and then councilor murphy.
5:50 Um uh, judge uh, well, we often
5:52 have opening statements that at
5:53 hearings like this where we're
5:54 waiving them in the budget
5:55 hearings.
5:57 So, uh, you'll hear from my
5:57 colleagues in a second.
5:59 I'm going to introduce the
5:59 panelists.
6:02 We're joined today by deputy
6:03 commissioner of administration
6:06 finance, uh, kevin coyne deputy
6:07 fire chief for the training
6:08 division.
6:10 Scott malone, uh, deputy
6:11 of operations field services
6:14 patrick ellis and for his first
6:16 hearing here as our uh as new
6:17 fire commissioner rodney
6:18 marshall.
6:20 Uh, again, uh, congratulations
6:20 .
6:24 And, uh, this is a an
6:26 interesting way to start uh,
6:27 but, uh um.
6:31 I'm sorry.
6:32 So, you know, it's someone
6:32 okay.
6:34 I apologize.
6:36 Can you just tell me your name
6:38 so I get it to get it right?
6:38 Uh.
6:42 Gaskins gaskins I'm the
6:43 recruitment officer for the
6:44 department.
6:44 Okay.
6:46 first name michael.
6:46 Michael.
6:47 Okay.
6:47 Thank you.
6:48 Okay.
6:49 we're joined with michael
6:50 gaskins recruiting officers at
6:51 ,uh.
6:52 Recruitment recruitment
6:53 officer.
6:54 Recruitment officer for the
6:55 boston fire department.
6:55 Okay.
6:55 Thank you very much.
6:58 Uh, and again welcome.
7:00 Uh, so I don't know if you have
7:02 a presentation uh, or comments
7:04 so I'm going to give the floor
7:05 to the panelists and we'll go
7:06 to my colleagues for questions.
7:09 Thank you chair weber.
7:11 Good morning everyone.
7:13 Good morning.
7:15 I would like to thank millwall
7:16 for continued support of the
7:17 boston fire department.
7:19 Now I would like to thank the
7:21 office of budget management for
7:22 the assistance in the budget in
7:23 the budget process.
7:26 I'd also like to thank deputy
7:29 commissioner kevin coyne and
7:30 his team for the tireless work
7:31 that they do throughout the
7:32 year to keep the department
7:34 financially responsible.
7:35 I'd like to thank the panelists
7:37 here today with us chief
7:38 of operations pat ellis,
7:41 recruitment officer michael
7:43 gaskins, uh, grant manager
7:45 julie devon, uh, safety, health
7:47 and wellness deputy chief julie
7:48 shay.
7:52 Uh uh, chief and and hazmat
7:53 chief keith kelly.
7:58 And uh, that that's it for our
7:59 panelists today.
8:00 Thank you again.
8:02 Chia webb and the members
8:03 of the men's and women's
8:04 committee for holding this
8:05 hearing today.
8:09 I'd like to also thank, uh,
8:11 councilor and flynn,
8:13 councilors, uh, erin murphy and
8:16 uh, we'll see you on the shin.
8:19 Excuse me for the
8:19 mispronunciation.
8:23 Uh, the primary mission of the
8:24 boston fire department is to
8:25 provide the residents and
8:27 visitors of the city with the
8:28 highest level of fire
8:29 protection and emergency
8:30 services.
8:32 Every day our firefighters,
8:33 officers and dedicated civilian
8:35 employees work together to
8:36 protect the lives, properties
8:38 and neighborhoods of a wide
8:40 range of hazardous while
8:41 adapting to the growing demands
8:43 placed on the mod on a modified
8:45 fire department.
8:48 We are cognizant of the current
8:48 fiscal constraints facing the
8:50 city of boston.
8:51 We remain committed to
8:52 identifying efficiencies and
8:54 reducing expenses across all
8:56 areas of our operations in
8:57 order to make meaningful
8:59 contributions to the city.
9:01 Our city's overall fiscal
9:01 health.
9:04 Over the past decade, the base
9:05 of fire department's operating
9:06 budget has remained largely
9:07 level funded.
9:08 During the same period, the
9:10 cost of delivering emergency
9:12 service services has steadily
9:12 increased.
9:15 Rising equipment and apparatus
9:16 costs, contractual obligations
9:17 and collective bargaining
9:20 agreements and expanding
9:21 complexities of emergency
9:23 response have all placed
9:24 additional strains on the
9:24 operating budget.
9:27 More recently more recently,
9:29 reductions in state funding for
9:31 firefighter training has
9:32 required the department to
9:33 absorb costs that were
9:35 previously supported through
9:35 external sources.
9:38 In addition, the department has
9:40 made important investments to
9:41 ensure that its long term
9:44 strength and sustainability
9:45 including the establishment
9:46 of the fire cadet program.
9:49 This program is essential to
9:51 developing the next generation
9:52 of firefighters and maintaining
9:54 a diverse, well-trained
9:54 workforce.
9:57 But it also represents a new
9:58 and necessary budgetary
9:59 commitment.
10:03 The funding request before you
10:04 reflects a careful and
10:05 responsible assessment of the
10:07 department's operational needs.
10:10 It is designed not to expand
10:12 beyond necessity but to
10:13 preserve service levels,
10:15 maintain readiness and ensure
10:16 that our members have the
10:18 training, equipment and support
10:20 required to do their job safely
10:21 and effectively.
10:23 As fire commissioner of city
10:26 of boston, I respectfully
10:27 request that the funding
10:29 outlined in the budget proposal
10:31 be approved and we are hopeful
10:33 that we can answer your
10:33 questions.
10:33 Thank you.
10:36 okay.
10:38 Uh, thank you very much.
10:41 Uh, we're going to go to uh my
10:43 colleagues who were rivals that
10:44 that that's the the end of that
10:45 .
10:45 Sorry.
10:47 I we do have a presentation
10:47 .
10:49 CHAIRMAN Weber if we wanted to
10:49 go to that first.
10:50 Yes, please.
10:52 And it's just a short
10:53 presentation just to highlight
10:54 the work that's being done.
10:57 Uh, we understand that, uh, the
10:58 office of budget management has
10:59 submitted to, uh, through the
11:01 rfp process all the documents
11:02 for the annual budget
11:03 submission this year.
11:05 We are here today to answer
11:07 those questions, but we thought
11:08 it would be a good opportunity
11:09 for us to highlight, you know,
11:10 some of the critical work that
11:11 we're doing.
11:13 Um, that as a result of the
11:15 funding that we received the
11:16 city of boston, the budget
11:17 office and city council.
11:18 yeah, that would be great to
11:19 do the presentation.
11:20 I forgot to remind the
11:20 panelists.
11:22 Uh, you don't have to press the
11:22 buttons.
11:24 Uh, we have central staff can
11:25 can operate that.
11:25 Okay.
11:27 Complicated apparatus but uh
11:29 um, so who wants to.
11:31 I can take that.
11:31 Ready?
11:31 Okay.
11:32 Yes.
11:33 So the next slide please.
11:36 So this is just really just a
11:37 tagline.
11:38 Uh, from the boston fire
11:38 department.
11:40 We're an organization
11:41 of dedicated professionals who
11:43 are committed to serving the
11:44 community by protecting life
11:46 property in the environment
11:48 through prevention, education,
11:49 emergency medical, civil
11:50 defense and fire service.
11:52 We protect all boston residents
11:54 and the hundreds of thousands
11:56 of people who work, shop and
11:57 visit and call the city
11:58 of boston home.
12:00 The boston fire department is
12:01 commonly referred to as the
12:02 first in the nation.
12:04 Next, please.
12:11 So this, uh, document and
12:12 luckily I have my subject
12:14 matter expert in julie dublin
12:15 who can answer any questions
12:16 you might have related to the
12:16 grants.
12:18 So currently we are recipient
12:20 of eight active federal grant
12:22 grants through the department
12:26 of um dhs and fema, bj boston
12:28 jobs alliance consumer product
12:29 safety commission and the
12:31 department of transportation
12:33 totaling $1.8 million in
12:34 federal monies.
12:36 Uh, the grants make up uh one
12:38 is the peer support program
12:39 which provides clinical
12:41 director and chief training
12:43 within our organization.
12:45 The next one is marine
12:47 firefighting and land based, uh
12:48 ,firefighting commitment
12:49 training and control.
12:52 Uh another offshoot of that is
12:54 marine firefighting for land
12:54 based.
12:56 Uh, we have another grant that
12:57 funds the hot work.
13:00 Training and hot work has been
13:01 particularly important for the
13:02 boston fire department.
13:04 Um, because that terrible
13:05 tragedy that occurred on beacon
13:07 street was a direct result
13:08 of that which, you know,
13:10 changed the legislation and how
13:11 hot work is done.
13:12 And you know, we're very
13:13 cognizant of the ongoing
13:14 training that needs to be done
13:15 about that.
13:17 Um, the next one is purchase
13:18 and installation of carbon
13:20 monoxide detectors with
13:21 education and outreach.
13:23 We've been doing that for just
13:25 over a year very successful in
13:26 some of the neighborhoods we've
13:27 completed.
13:29 Um, a large installation in
13:30 chinatown and most recently
13:33 another successful campaign in
13:34 hyde park in mattapan.
13:36 Um, another grant that we've
13:38 received and worked diligently
13:40 on is the boston fire
13:42 accreditation.
13:42 department forensic lab
13:44 Um, previously our lab was not
13:44 accredited.
13:46 So this work will allow us to,
13:49 you know, uh, will ensure that
13:50 all of the, uh, work that we're
13:52 doing in terms of arson
13:54 investigation is fully vetted
13:56 and secure within the city
13:56 of boston.
13:58 Um archives.
14:00 Um, and the other one is
14:02 command level training and, um
14:04 it's really just multi-agency.
14:06 It's how we can work better
14:07 together with multiple agencies
14:08 across the city of boston.
14:10 Next slide please.
14:14 There.
14:16 Um, so the other grants that
14:18 we're received was six active
14:20 state grants that we receive.
14:22 Um, two of them are earmarks
14:24 that we received is hazmat
14:24 training.
14:27 It's $1.4 million and the
14:28 second one is the department
14:31 fire training academy grant for
14:32 $1.7 million.
14:34 Um, both of those have been
14:36 instrumental in the success
14:39 of the training that the hazmat
14:40 folks conduct and as well as
14:41 the training academy, um, on
14:43 the island would be actually
14:44 lost without those.
14:45 Another earmark that we
14:47 received was a legislative
14:49 authority, uh, which allowed us
14:52 last summer to um, have a
14:54 dedicated delta car in the
14:56 south boston uh, castle island
14:58 castle and beach area to
15:00 provide to any medical
15:02 emergency or um any critical
15:03 incident that occurred and that
15:04 was very successful last year.
15:07 Um another one we have is the
15:09 fire alarm dispatch which
15:12 provides education and um for
15:13 the fire alarm division to make
15:14 sure they're completely up to
15:16 date with the changing
15:18 technology and all the works
15:18 that they do.
15:21 Um, another offshoot of that is
15:23 the personnel which is the cad
15:24 which you know, supports fire
15:26 alarm which also willington
15:29 with ems and boston police
15:30 department and you know the
15:32 training uh which has been
15:33 somewhat new which has been
15:35 very successful this year is an
15:37 elevator rescue kit, um uh
15:39 training exercise that has been
15:41 conducted for the department.
15:42 Next slide please.
15:47 So again I'm I'm grateful to
15:49 work with really talented and
15:51 educated people that, um,
15:52 really can help support the
15:53 work of the fire department.
15:56 Um, the fire department is
15:59 extremely committed to, uh, the
16:00 diversity of the department in