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San Angelo seeks $360,000 match for FEMA SAFER grant to staff new fire station
Summary
Fire leadership requested a $360,000 local match for a FEMA SAFER grant that would fund 20 firefighter positions over a three‑year training cadence; city staff noted the grant is competitive and the match is budgeted in the proposed FY2025–26 plan.
Fire leadership told the council that the city applied for a FEMA SAFER staffing grant to support 20 additional firefighters anticipated for a proposed Station No. 9. The SAFER application is roughly $1.4 million with a 75/25 cost‑share; the city's 25% match was presented as $360,000 and is included in FY2025–26 preliminary budgets.
The chief explained training bottlenecks: it takes approximately 16 months to train a full recruit class, and achieving the full complement of 20 new personnel will take about three years. He told council the national success rate for SAFER grants is low—about 20%—so the city is budgeting for the match while acknowledging the award is not guaranteed.
Council members queried the likelihood of award and how overtime pressures would be addressed if the grant is not approved; the chief and staff said overtime has been a recurring cost and the additional positions would reduce overtime pressure and long‑term cost.
No formal grant acceptance or match appropriation vote was taken at the workshop; staff said grant approvals and any required budget amendments would return to council for formal action.
