New Milford council authorizes SAFER grant application to fund multiyear volunteer recruitment plan

At a council work session this month, New Milford’s mayor and council authorized borough staff to apply for a federal SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant after an extended presentation from fire department leadership about long‑term recruitment and retention needs.

The presentation, led by the department’s chief, laid out a multi‑year plan that pairs a marketing and recruitment campaign with financial incentives and training to try to reverse years of volunteer attrition. The grant application described about $476,550 in potential funding across categories that include marketing and outreach, recruit physicals and personal protective equipment, leadership training, a part‑time recruitment coordinator stipend and a monthly stipend program for operational responders.

The chief told the council volunteer manpower has fallen and that housing costs, work schedules and competing nearby departments have contributed to losses of members under age 30. “This is our problem. It’s not the borough’s problem. It’s not the taxpayer’s problem,” the chief said, urging an organized program rather than ad‑hoc recruitment.

Department leaders walked the council through specific budget lines included in the draft application: a $92,007.50 marketing and recruitment contract with a private vendor to run targeted social advertising, a dedicated recruitment website and printed materials; reimbursement for recruit physicals (the chief said current urgent‑care exams cost about $135 but noted a potential regulatory change could require NFPA‑level testing that could cost $1,500–$2,000 per recruit); stipends and clothing allowances for active operational members; and a $200,000 pool of stipend funds the chief described as the maximum the SAFER program would allow across a multi‑year period (the federal SAFER terms discussed in the presentation would pay up to $50,000 per year and roll unused funds forward).

Council members asked detailed questions about program design, oversight and long‑term cost. The chief said the borough could structure the stipend either as a pay‑per‑call model (favored by the federal program rules) or as a percentage/point‑based stipend that rewards drills, trainings and other activities. He warned pay‑per‑call could produce administrative overhead and create incentive mismatches; point systems that include drills and training give more credit for recruitment and retention objectives, he said.

The department described using an American Rescue Plan (ARP) reimbursement of roughly $73,000 for previously purchased gear to help cover the local match, and the presenters recommended budgeting $6,000 a year for quarterly reporting and $12,000 for the one‑time application fee and consultant work tied to the grant. The chief told the council that award notifications historically arrive several months after the application window and that, if awarded, the borough would start spending within 60 days of award.

After discussion, a council member made a motion to authorize submission of the SAFER grant application; the motion was seconded and the council approved the application authorization by roll call.

The council did not commit to any specific stipend level beyond authorizing the application. Presenters emphasized the grant would be a multi‑year pilot: if awarded, the program would produce reporting and outcome data the borough could use to decide future local budgets or alternative incentives. The chief said strong data collection would be central to seeking further funding after the initial SAFER performance period.

Ending: Council members asked staff to draft the application and a supporting resolution and to return with details on (1) the final stipend or pay‑per‑call structure to be requested, (2) the source of any required local match, and (3) the administrative plan for monthly reporting and eligibility verification.