Roseville officials back applying for FEMA SAFER grant and outline plan to add 15 firefighters

Chief Rosnahan told the Roseville City Council on Jan. 27 that the fire department’s call volume has increased dramatically over the last several years and that the city needs more on‑duty personnel to avoid frequent gaps in fire and emergency response.

The department presented data showing more than 50% of calls now require more than one unit and that about 60% of last year’s calls occurred as doubles, triples or more within short timeframes. Chief Rosnahan said the department averaged roughly 20.4 calls per day in 2024 and recorded 235 incidents last year when the right resources were not available.

The presentation recommended hiring 15 additional firefighters, adding a staffed ladder truck and increasing engine company staffing so daily minimum staffing would rise from about six to ten and maximum staffing from roughly eight to 13. The plan would add a captain layer of supervision and a dedicated on‑duty incident commander when staffing permits.

Why it matters: Fire leadership said the staffing shortfall is not about individual performance but about demand — interrupted training, reduced ability to engage the community, increased fatigue and higher per‑firefighter call loads. The city’s growing senior population and a daytime population that more than doubles because of retail and restaurants were cited as drivers of continued EMS demand.

The department asked for two things: council approval to apply for the federal SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant, and general guidance about how the staffing plan should be considered in the 2026 budget process. Chief Rosnahan described the SAFER grant as competitive and noted, “It is a very challenging grant — about a 5% success rate — but fantastic if you are able to achieve it.”

Budget, schedule and impacts: Staff presented three implementation options — an early 2026 full hire, a mid‑to‑late 2026 phased hire, or a two‑year split hire — with estimated first‑year costs for a 2026 partial implementation at roughly $658,000 and ongoing levy impacts. Using 2025 median valuation as an example, staff estimated the partial 2026 levy impact on a median home would be about $33; the fuller 2027 levy impact could raise the estimated annual median‑home cost to roughly $70, for a combined impact of about $105 annually by the plan’s full implementation year.

Council response and next steps: Council members repeatedly expressed support for pursuing the SAFER grant and for studying the staffing change as part of the 2026 budget cycle. Mayor Roeth asked whether the council had any objections to applying; Chief Rosnahan said there appeared to be none. Council members requested further detail on training costs, equipment and facility impacts and asked staff to continue community outreach. Staff said turnout gear and incremental training budget increases would be among the additional operational costs and that CIP impacts should be limited because the city already owns the ladder apparatus being proposed for daily staffing.

Chief Rosnahan and Assistant Chief Neil Sholstrom emphasized the plan aims to reduce calls per on‑duty firefighter, improve response times and align staffing more closely with national standards. The council directed staff to pursue the SAFER grant application and to integrate the staffing options into upcoming budget discussions.

What happens next: Staff will prepare the SAFER grant application and return with more detailed budget, training and implementation timelines to inform the 2026 budget process. The council’s direction was not a formal adoption of the staffing plan; it was consensus support to pursue grant funding and further budget planning.

Ending: Council members said they supported further work and community outreach before any final budget adoption. Chief Rosnahan said staff would proceed with the grant application and bring back detailed cost, recruitment and implementation schedules for council review.