The Fire service continues to see unprecedented challenges in call volume, apparatus and equipment costs, as well as recruitment and retention. The fire programs fund assists all local fire and EMS departments with funding to help with these challenges. Local fire and EMS personnel respond to emergencies in every part of this Commonwealth - on private property, in state public buildings, state parks, universities, community colleges, and on the state-maintained highways. The current level of fire service funding is not adequate to provide reliable, sustainable services across the Commonwealth. We proudly protect all the residents across the Commonwealth when responding to their calls for help, in their greatest moment of need. If we are to maintain quality and sustainable response, we need the support of the General Assembly on House Bill 394. I would also like to thank the patron for all his work on this legislation.

Chair and members of the subcommittee, my name is Marci Stone, Deputy Chief of Roanoke Fire-EMS, City of Roanoke. I am here to ask for your support HB394. These funds are vital for the life-saving equipment, training, and prevention programs our departments rely on every day. Whether career or volunteer, fire-EMS personnel respond to emergencies on every inch of Commonwealth rom private homes, public buildings, state parks, universities, community colleges and to our busiest state-maintained highways. We proudly protect state assets, but local funding alone can no longer sustain the level of service the Commonwealth requires. We need your partnership to ensure a high-quality emergency response for every resident and visitor in Virginia. Please support this bill. Thank you for your time.

I am submitting my written support of HB394. As an insurance agent and a volunteer fire fighter, it is time that we find a way to provide more funding for the fire service. Your own studies have shown how underfunded agencies are in the Commonwealth. 1% or even .5% is nothing to the insurance industry. Providing more funding will actually help in fire suppression, which helps lower losses for the insurance industry. I fully support a full 1% increase but understand something is better than nothing if we have to settle on .5%. Thank you for you anticipated support!

My name is Kenneth Pravetz, and I am the Fire Chief of the Virginia Beach Fire Department, representing one of the largest and fire-rescue systems in the Commonwealth. I write in strong support of HB 394, which would increase state assistance to localities for fire department funding across Virginia. Fire departments provide essential, front-line public safety services—fire suppression, emergency medical care, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and disaster mitigation—yet the Virginia fire service receives very little direct, sustained funding from the state budget. Unlike our law enforcement partners, who benefit from multiple state-supported funding streams for staffing, training, and equipment, fire and EMS agencies rely overwhelmingly on local property tax revenue to meet growing operational demands. This funding imbalance places increasing strain on local governments, particularly as call volumes rise, service complexity expands, and the cost of apparatus, protective equipment, medical supplies, and workforce retention continues to escalate. Localities are being asked to do more every year, often without commensurate state support, despite fire-rescue services being integral to public safety, economic resilience, and disaster response statewide. Previous legislative action from prior general assembly sessions, established studies to quantify the need for additional funding for our Commonwealth's fire service. All of the evaluations done by government and independent organizations agree that the fire service needs support to continue to protect our communities. HB 394 represents an important step toward correcting this long-standing disparity. By increasing state assistance to local fire departments, the Commonwealth can help ensure more consistent service delivery, improve firefighter safety, support recruitment and retention, and enhance preparedness for large-scale emergencies that routinely cross jurisdictional boundaries. This is not a request to shift responsibility away from local governments, but rather a recognition that fire-rescue services are a shared state and local priority, just as law enforcement has long been acknowledged to be. A modest increase in state investment will yield significant returns in community safety, emergency readiness, and the protection of both citizens and first responders. I respectfully urge the members of the General Assembly to support HB 394 and demonstrate a tangible commitment to strengthening the Virginia fire service for the benefit of all who live, work, and visit the Commonwealth. Respectfully, Kenneth Pravetz Fire Chief Virginia Beach Fire Department