Jupiter launches its fire-rescue department with $11.4M for engines, ambulances, first hires

JUPITER — The Town Council has allocated $11.4 million to fund the creation of Jupiter's own fire-rescue department, right after a group of residents delivered fiery comments in protest against it.

More than half that total, $6.9 million, will go toward buying fire transport vehicles, the council said at its Oct. 3 meeting.

These will include three advanced life support, or ALS, engines; one ALS rescue engine; one ALS ladder engine; and four ambulances. The ladder engine will be a new town fixture, as Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, with whom Jupiter now contracts for fire-rescue services, does not maintain one with the town.

The department is scheduled to launch in three years, the same amount of time it can take for these vehicles to arrive.

Jupiter also will hire four full-time fire-rescue employees in the upcoming fiscal year, one of whom will be a fire chief. The three other hires will either fill firefighter or administrative roles, filled at the chief's direction.

The total will be transferred from the town’s unrestricted general fund to a new fire-rescue fund for this year’s startup costs. The money comes from Jupiter taxpayer dollars, primarily property taxes, town attorney Thomas Baird said.

It isn't yet known what amount of money the town will add to the fire-rescue fund each year, finance director Scott Reynolds said.

'I knew he was rabid': Jupiter otter bite victim recounts attack, hundreds of vaccine shots

Jupiter took issue with covering fire-rescue costs for rural county areas

The council decided to end the town’s 40-year relationship with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and start a town fire-rescue department in a sudden vote on Aug. 15, six weeks before its agreement with the county agency was scheduled to expire. Only one council member, Cameron May, voted against it.

As Jupiter and the county began discussions about a new contract last year, rising county costs prompted the town to consider starting its own agency. Public outcry raged since the decision, with residents begging council members to put the decision to a public vote.

“If we choose that it’s gonna cost us a little bit more money to have that professional fire service remain here, then let us have that right to vote on that,”  said Anthony Iannetti, a Jupiter resident since 1983 and father of a Palm Beach County Fire Rescue captain. “Don’t let us down. Give us the right to say what we want, not what you want.”

There is no legal action that residents could take to stop the creation of the fire department, according to Baird. He cited Chapter 166 of Florida Statutes which vest the town council with “home rule authority” to establish their town government, which includes the fire rescue department.

Council member Malise Sundstrom reiterated the council’s decision to residents after they delivered emotionally charged statements in hopes of swaying the council away from the new fire department. The town faced a Sept. 30 deadline to decide whether to renew its agreement with the county.

“We’re doing what we said we would do. We’ve now got to start building this,” Sundstrom said. The decision point has passed. … The deadline has passed.”

Suni Sands: Jupiter says developer failed to see waterfront site's historic importance when he bought it

When the council received a new contract from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, they were left with unanswered questions concerning something they didn’t expect to see on the contract: additional costs to provide services to rural areas near Jupiter, Sundstrom said.

The cost of this was listed as “TBD” on the contract. “We had to act,” Sundstrom said.

One council member wary of paying with tax dollars, not bonds

According to an updated report from Joe Pozzo of the International City/County Management Association, the consultant Jupiter has used in planning its fire-rescue department, the move could save the town about $68 million from fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2033.

“This was never a quality issue. The issue is about the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue leadership wanting to have us subsidize the cost for the rural areas. That’s just not fair,” Jupiter Mayor Jim Kuretski said.

Kuretski says the town will save millions in annual tax assessments for fiscal year 2027 and beyond. He quotes the savings in the first year to be at least $5.5 million dollars, which he said amounts to an $85 dollar savings for each resident of Jupiter.

“With each day, we have grown more confident and certain about the Jupiter fire department that is being created,” Kuretski said. “It will ultimately meet and exceed the overall quality of fire rescue services commendably provided by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue for so many years.”

The town expects to build two fire stations as part of its startup costs, in addition to hiring firefighters and paramedics and buying engines and ambulances.

May, a firefighter and paramedic for the county, was once again the lone dissenting vote Oct. 3, when he also voted against the budget amendment to fund the new fire department.

Luke Bryan concert near Jupiter: Country music star to play fundraiser for two arts schools

He said his main concern with the budget amendment was that he was initially told there would be zero costs for the first three years, as the council previously said they would bond out the start-up costs to pay it back in 2026. He questioned the use of taxpayer dollars to fund it.

“I think we’re putting the cart so far ahead of the horse on this,” May said. “When you listen to the residents' questions of when new stations will be built and how much they will cost, there’s no answer there.

I think there are a lot of questions that aren’t being answered. I don’t feel right throwing a bunch of money at something we don’t have all the answers for.”

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jupiter budgets $11.4M for first year of town fire-rescue department