SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Sarasota County Fire Department is proposing an increase to taxpayers to make sure the necessary public safety services are provided.

“We need to be responsive to the taxpayers, we need to grow the fire department within their limitations of what we believe they expect and what they should be willing to afford,” said Chief David Rathbun.

The chief said the department is asking for a 13% increase to the fire assessment rates based off the square footage of a home. The department has goals of increasing staffing, and the chief said they have work to do when it comes to response times. All firefighters are also certified as EMTs but with the same people providing both those services, it’s a challenge to respond to every call.

“When all crews are on that fire and that fire house is empty, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith is having a cardiac arrest event or whatever, there are fire trucks that are having to respond from further and further away to get there,” said Chief Rathbun. “Each minute delay is a 10% reduction in the survivability of that patient. So if they are coming from further and further away, the likelihood of having a positive outcome with that patient diminishes quickly.”

They have new communities that need fire stations and fire stations that see more incidents than they can respond to that need additional units. The chief said getting to these emergencies is probably the most dangerous thing they do.

“Running red lights and sirens is inherently dangerous, so if we can get the same number of firefighters on the scene that we need to, do all that critical tasking by sending fewer fire trucks, we’re putting less of the community in harm’s way and less chance for a vehicle accident,” Rathbun said.

It’s a growing area, and growing costs are inevitable, but the chief said these increases can be the difference in saving lives.