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Lansing council advances $4.3M SAFER grant to add 15 firefighters
Summary
The Committee of the Whole approved acceptance of a $4.3 million federal SAFER grant to fund 15 firefighter positions over the grant period; Fire Chief Sturtevant said the award requires the city to absorb those positions at the end of the grant term.
The Lansing City Council Committee of the Whole on Dec. 16 voted to accept a $4.3 million SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant that will fund 15 firefighter positions.
Fire Chief Sturtevant told the committee the department applied in 2023 and structured a staffing plan to address shortages while accounting for retirements. "SAFER is an acronym for staffing for adequate fire emergency response," he said, adding that the grant is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.
Why it matters: Chief Sturtevant said the department handles roughly 30,000 calls annually and that about 80% are emergency medical service (EMS) related; he argued the new hires will improve efficiency and allow the department to respond more effectively to EMS and fire calls. The grant does not require a local match, he said.
Key details: Sturtevant described the period of performance as 24 months with a one-year extension that is customarily approved (totaling 36 months) and said the city must either absorb the hired positions into the department or lay them off at the end of the performance period. He said the period of performance begins the first week of March 2025 and runs through March 2028 under the expected schedule.
Council action: Council Member Spadafore moved the resolution to accept the grant; the motion passed by voice vote during the Committee of the Whole. Multiple council members expressed support during discussion and thanked department leadership for preparing for absorption of the positions.
What comes next: With Committee approval, the resolution will proceed to a formal council meeting for final passage and the department has already begun hiring steps, including written testing and virtual interviews, in anticipation of the grant period.
