Winston Salem Times

The Winston-Salem Fire Department is implementing temporary staffing changes to prevent exceeding its budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. The department will reduce the daily minimum number of on-duty personnel from 89 to 79 and has canceled all out-of-town and off-duty training until the end of the fiscal year.

While there is no current budget overspend, projections suggested that without these measures, an overage was likely by year's end. The fire chief emphasized the importance of maintaining services within the allocated budget, prompting these operational adjustments.

No staff furloughs are occurring, nor is overtime usage being eliminated. Despite reduced on-duty numbers, personnel responding to building fires still surpass those in most peer departments and exceed National Fire Protection Association recommendations. These changes are temporary, with regular staffing levels anticipated to resume on July 1.

Fire administration and senior city management acknowledge the seriousness of reducing minimum staffing but assure that firefighter and resident safety remains a priority during this period.