It was announced last week that the Grand Chute fire department was awarded a $632,550 SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant through FEMA. Residents have many questions regarding how this affects the firefighter referendum that allows hiring of six firefighters and additional paid on call staff.
Background of the SAFER Grant
According to FEMAs web site, "the Grant was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained, "front-line" firefighters available in their communities. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments’ abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by NFPA and OSHA."
SAFER grants are based on vanishing funding over a five year period. There are certain restrictions that come with the grant award. The most significant being that it must be applied to hiring firefighters. Communities awarded the grant must commit to a five-year period of performance in hiring fire fighters, and federal funds diminish over the five years with the town fully funding the firefighter hires by year five.
The federal share per firefighter position is as follows:
Year One ... 90 percent of costs
Year Two ... 80 percent of costs
Year Three ... 50 percent of costs
Year Four ... 30 percent of costs
Year Five ... 0 percent of costs
How does the town pay for remaining percentage of costs for hiring additional firefighters?
The hiring would be funded out of the town's budget. This would be difficult, or next to impossible by year two, with current imposed state levy limits.
Does the grant award affect the firefighter referendum?
The award of the SAFER grant should be viewed as an enhancement to our fire department referendum, not as a replacement. The town would be in serious financial trouble if the referendum had not passed, as it would still be committed to providing yearly increased staffing costs per grant requirements. Funding would have to be taken from other parts of the budget, drastically decreasing other services to town residents.
Why was there a referendum on the ballot, if Grand Chute fire department applied for this award?
Grand Chute fire department has applied for this grant in the past, and once again submitted an a grant application over a year ago. The department did not have any indication they would receive this grant before the award announcement. Not accepting the award would be a detrement for both the town and fire departments throughout the state of Wisconsin in the future. The Grand Chute Fire Department is only one of three departments in the state that was awarded a 2007 SAFER Grant. It is a huge honor for Grand Chute and it's fire department to be awarded this Grant.
Will the town hire additional firefighters above and beyond those planned in the referendum?
As far as I am aware, the town cannot sustain additional firefighters because of the vanishing grant system.
What will happen with any additional funds collected from the referendum and grant being awarded at the same time?
The town administrator and the fire department chief are working on different scenarios to present to the town board. I do not know what these scenarios are at this point, but will keep the public up to date here. It is important for the town to use this grant award money wisely, in accordance with any grant stipulations.
