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Council authorizes staff to apply for SAFER grant for three firefighter positions, not six
Summary
Staunton City Council authorized staff to apply for a federal SAFER grant to add firefighter positions but amended the city’s request from six positions to three; councilors discussed costs, carryover funds and the long-term local funding commitment required if awarded.
Staunton City Council on June 26 authorized staff to apply for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, but amended the application to request three additional full-time firefighter positions rather than six.
Nut graf: Chief Ball outlined how SAFER grants work (75% federal support in years 1–2, 35% in year 3, then full local support thereafter) and said the city’s current staffing and response standards would benefit from additional positions; council weighed the grant’s potential to restore minimum on-duty staffing and the long-term local funding commitments required if the grant is awarded.
Fire Chief Ball told council the SAFER program helps departments increase staffing and that the city previously used a SAFER award to add positions whose local costs were later absorbed into the operating budget. Chief Ball said the department’s 3‑year average of meeting NFPA 1710 staffing standards was low (about 3.22% of the time) and that adding personnel could improve that performance and help preserve the department’s ISO rating, which affects homeowners’ insurance.
Finance staff outlined local cost estimates if the city pursued the full six positions: one-time gear and uniform costs in year 1 and increasing local salary/benefit obligations by federal matching rules in subsequent years. Staff said the city could cover year‑1 costs with FY26 carryover funds if hires started partway through the fiscal year, but stressed that years 3 and 4 would require significant local budget allocations (staff estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars annually by year 4 if six positions were added). Councilors asked for more modest options; several said three positions would give meaningful operational relief while reducing the long-term local obligation.
Councilor Campbell moved to authorize staff to apply for SAFER with the city requesting three new positions; the motion passed on a roll-call vote with all members present voting aye. Councilors and staff noted the grant is competitive, award announcements come later this year, and that acceptance of any award would require later appropriations and council action to accept and fund the local match when obligated.
Ending: Staff will submit the grant application by the July 3 deadline and return to council if awarded to seek the required appropriations and to provide hiring schedule and budget options.
