Committee authorizes Horry County Fire Rescue to apply for $14.2 million FEMA SAFER grant to hire 36 firefighters

The Horry County committee approved a resolution authorizing Horry County Fire Rescue to submit and accept, if awarded, a FEMA SAFER grant to add firefighting personnel, county staff told the panel.

Beth Tranner presented the item on behalf of Chief Tanner and said the application total reflected a revised budget of $14,223,272.71. Tranner explained the grant’s cost-share provisions: under current guidance the grant would fund 75% of salaries and fringe for new hires in year one, with a reduced federal share in subsequent years, and the program does not cover gear, medical exams or certain other costs. Staff noted the presentation shows the county’s estimated expense for 36 firefighters over the covered years and an illustrative fourth year to show steady-state county costs once the grant period ends.

Tranner said the application is due July 3 and that two prior SAFER awards were received in federal fiscal years 2018 and 2020. A committee member moved to proceed with staff’s recommendation; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

The resolution authorizes application and acceptance if the award is offered; the committee did not record a roll-call vote or individual tallies in the transcript. The presentation did not include a detailed year-by-year county contribution schedule in the meeting transcript; staff indicated updated resolution language would be circulated to the committee as a red-lined change was available.

The committee’s action is procedural authorization to apply for and accept an award if offered and does not obligate county funds beyond the authorization described in the staff presentation until the county executes a grant acceptance agreement.