Fire Assessment

The City of Kissimmee is taking essential steps to ensure the continuation of high-quality fire services for the community. At the City Commission meeting on April 15th, the Commission adopted a directory resolution that authorized the initiation of a process that is necessary for the City Commission to consider the imposition and collection of special assessments to fund, in part about 25 %, of the annual cost of the availability of fire protection services and facilities within the City of Kissimmee.

This step comes after a recent staffing study for the Kissimmee Fire Department provided enough supporting evidence to allow the Fire Department’s command staff to make a recommendation to transition to a 24/72 work schedule, which would require 49 new positions with an estimated annual impact of approximately $6M.  This is also an amicable way to resolve an impasse with labor, which will avoid reliance on overtime and smartly expand our fire fighting force.

While staff looked at various funding options to support enhancing the level of service, the most equitable and sustainable option was to pursue the implementation of a fire service assessment. This is a critical step to ensure the Kissimmee Fire Department is equipped and staffed to serve our growing community.

This proposal is part of a larger effort that began with Resolution No. 34-2024 in December 2024 and has progressed through a fire staffing study workshop on April 1, 2025. City management, staff, and legal counsel have worked with experts to create a carefully planned process to ensure fairness and adherence to state law.

The process will involve careful planning to ensure that costs are shared fairly among all properties in the City. The City is also following all necessary legal steps, including providing public notice, sending an individually mailed notice explaining their parcel’s assessment to all property owners, holding a public hearing, and seeking judicial approval. If everything proceeds as planned, a final decision is expected in June, allowing the assessment to be included in the City's budget planning.

Fire Assessment Calculator