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Shenandoah County accepts FEMA SAFER grant to add firefighter positions
Summary
The Board accepted a FEMA SAFER award notifying the county on Sept. 25 of funding to hire up to 27 paid firefighter positions; the grant requires onboarding within 180 days to maximize federal share and carries multi-year local-match obligations and one-time estimated costs.
Shenandoah County voted Oct. 14 to accept a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that would fund up to 27 paid firefighter positions, county staff said.
"We received word on September 25 that award had been made," a county grant lead told the board, and staff advised the board that once accepted through FEMA's portal the county would have 180 days to onboard positions to maximize the federal share. The staff member said an estimated one-time cost was adjusted during the presentation to about $250,000 (previously misstated), and that the packet describes local-match percentages over several years.
Staff and supervisors discussed operational deployment and long-term budget impacts. The grant was described as providing the equivalent of three 24/7 crews (two personnel per station, organized to cover three staffed stations), and the board discussed the recurring local cost if the positions are maintained after federal funding ends. A supervisor summarized the local obligation by saying the awarded positions will create long-term budget effects that must be planned for in upcoming fiscal years.
Board members asked procedural questions about partial hiring and federal draws. Staff said that while the grant is presented as the county requesting 27 positions, in practice the county would draw federal funds corresponding to positions actually onboarded: "If you hired 15, you're only taking advantage of 75% of funding for 15 positions," staff said.
The board made and seconded a motion to accept the SAFER grant; a roll-call vote was taken and supervisors present recorded aye votes, approving acceptance and obligating the county to the onboarding timelines and local-match responsibilities identified in the grant documents.
What’s next: Staff will accept the grant through FEMA's portal and begin onboarding; the county will report timing and budget effects as hires are planned and as equipment and operating-cost needs are clarified.
