Baltimore County’s population has swelled in recent decades. So, too, have the demands on its fire department. Emergency call volumes have risen, while resources to handle them have largely stayed the same.

That changed Wednesday, when County Executive Kathy Klausmeier announced $3.4 million in new funding to pay for 12 additional battalion chiefs, more than doubling the number of senior officers available to oversee an emergency response at the scene.

The proposal is included in the Democrat’s fiscal 2027 budget, which she will unveil to the County Council at 10 a.m. Thursday.

“For far too long, our fire department has been stretched thin at the command level,” Klausmeier said at a news conference at the Towson fire station.

“The sooner these leaders are present during an emergency, the sooner they can ensure a scene is under control,” she said. “And in an emergency, every minute matters.”

The announcement drew a standing ovation and sustained applause from about two dozen uniformed firefighters.

Steve Redmer, president of Baltimore County firefighters union IAFF Local 1311, exchanged multiple hugs with Klausmeier during and after the news conference. He said he worked closely with her administration on the proposal over several months.

Though Redmer’s list of funding priorities is long — the department doesn’t have a fire boat despite more than 200 miles of shoreline, and the Fire-Rescue Academy has faced staffing shortages — he said he wanted to pursue something “obtainable and achievable” before Klausmeier leaves office in December. The two have enjoyed a close relationship dating back to when Redmer attended elementary school with Klausmeier’s daughter.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard in my 25 years on the job that this was never going to happen. We were never going to get these battalions back. We were going to be forgotten,” Redmer said.

In his decades in the department, Redmer said he’s watched funding “cut to the bone.” The county had 25 battalion chiefs on staff in 2000 and has only eight today. Just three work each shift to cover a county of nearly 700 square miles.

That’s left battalion chiefs responsible for covering large swaths of the county, forced deputy chiefs to assume greater responsibility, and slowed emergency response times, Redmer said. It’s also placed firefighters at more risk during emergencies; the union chief likened the situation to the Ravens playing without a coach.

The additional funding would increase the number of battalion chiefs on each shift to six.

Standing alongside Klausmeier, Fire Chief Joseph Dixon hailed the announcement, saying it would ease the burden on career and volunteer staff who handle more than 150,000 calls annually.

“We can all rest a bit easier at night, knowing that we are better prepared to meet the ever-increasing call volume and incident complexity,” Dixon said.

Three council members — Chair Mike Ertel, Pikesville Democrat Izzy Patoka and Catonsville Democrat Pat Young — attended Wednesday’s announcement, signaling the county legislature’s support for a budget increase that requires its approval.

Baltimore County has grown to about 850,000 residents but has a minimum number of battalion chiefs, Young said.

“That affects safety and affects morale,” he said. “It also affects perception of where we put our priorities.”

“We have been doing more with less in the fire department for a long time,” Ertel said.

“It’s a big deal for the safety of our rank and file to have command officers there quicker,” the Towson Democrat said. “The council fully supports this.”

Klausmeier’s 2027 budget proposal also includes an extra $9.3 million for the county school system, a late funding boost that saved nearly 150 school jobs from the chopping block and prevented increases in elementary class sizes.

The council must approve the budget by June. It may cut spending but cannot add to it.

The new fiscal year begins July 1.