Effective budgeting in the fire service requires more than estimating costs—it requires a defensible, data-driven approach that aligns resources with community risk and organizational responsibilities. This session will introduce participants to the budgeting and staffing concepts contained within NFPA 1730 and demonstrate how Annex C can be used as a practical planning tool.

Participants will work through a hands-on staffing exercise using Annex C to evaluate service demands, identify gaps, and determine whether additional personnel may be warranted. The exercise will provide Fire Marshals and other leaders with a framework for developing objective staffing recommendations to support budget requests and communicate resource needs to elected officials and stakeholders.

Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to apply nationally recognized standards to budgeting decisions and how to build a stronger justification for future positions based on risk, workload, and community expectations.