Hillsborough County Fire Rescue presented a trial of its Peak Rescue program and the board on Nov. 5 approved creation of a permanent Peak Rescue section and 48 new paramedic positions to staff 10 peak ambulances covering high‑demand hours.

Chief Jason Dougherty said the pilot (five peak units on 12‑hour schedules) reduced unit‑hour utilization in key areas—from crisis levels in 2023 to improved availability in 2024–25—and shortened average response times by roughly 42 seconds. The peak units run during the busiest hours (about 07:00–22:00) and are intended to preserve advanced life support capacity and reduce delays when basic life support calls escalate to more serious conditions.

Dougherty told the board that the county has already purchased six ambulances and requested funding for four or five additional vehicles to reach the proposed 11‑unit fleet (10 active, one reserve); capital needs were estimated at about $2.3 million (vehicle and medical equipment). He projected annual operating costs of roughly $5.8 million (about $4.8 million in salaries and benefits and $1 million in operating expenses) and estimated transport revenue of approximately $7 million based on current billing and historical transport rates.

Commissioners praised the pilot data and supported permanent staffing to reduce burnout and reliance on overtime. Several commissioners noted the public‑safety benefit of improved response times and urged careful tracking of reimbursement and transport billing to make the program sustainable.

The board accepted the report (g3) and approved establishment of the new positions (b4). The position creation and funding authorization passed 7–0.

Votes and next steps: the board approved receiving the report and moved to establish positions for the Peak Rescue division (b4). Staff will return with implementation details for vehicles, recruitment and ongoing revenue assumptions.