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Spanish Fort council authorizes SAFER grant application to fund nine firefighter positions; hires already planned
Summary
Council adopted a resolution authorizing application for a Department of Homeland Security SAFER grant to fund nine additional firefighters over three years and approved a contract with JMCM Consulting LLC to assist with grant preparation.
The Spanish Fort City Council on June 10 voted to authorize the mayor and fire chief to apply for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and approved a consulting contract to assist with the application.
City staff said the department plans to add nine firefighter positions over three years — three per year — and that the SAFER grant would cover 75% of those costs in the first two years and 65% in the third year if awarded. The grant application deadline noted in the record is July 3, 2025.
The council voted to suspend the rules for immediate consideration and then adopted Resolution 15-22-2025 to authorize the application. A subsequent resolution, 15-23-2025, authorized the mayor to execute a contract with JMCM Consulting LLC to assist in grant application preparation; that resolution was also adopted after a suspension vote.
A council member clarified that the nine hires were part of a previously planned staffing effort and that the SAFER grant would help pay for the first three years of those positions rather than fund unplanned hires.
What’s next: staff will finalize and file the SAFER application by the July 3 deadline and will work with JMCM Consulting LLC on the application materials. If the grant is awarded, the city will implement a three-year staffing plan that phases in three new firefighter positions per year.
