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Tiverton council authorizes firefighter grant applications and approves therapy‑dog program
Summary
The council authorized the fire chief to apply for a FEMA SAFER staffing grant (motion passed with one opposed) and an Assistance to Firefighters Grant to replace SCBA equipment; it also approved a therapy‑dog wellness program for the fire department.
The Tiverton Fire Department received council approval to apply for two federal grants and to pilot a therapy‑dog program for first‑responder wellness.
SAFER grant: Fire Chief Herrera asked permission to submit a FEMA SAFER application to restore firefighter staffing. The grant would subsidize hiring over three years with the town’s share increasing to 65% in the third year. The council authorized submission of the application; the motion passed with one councilor recorded as opposed.
AFG equipment grant: The chief also sought authority to apply for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to replace SCBA/air‑packs; vendor quotes presented were approximately $371,000, with a required local match estimated at 5% for communities under 20,000 (about $18,565). Councilors authorized the application; funding and acceptance would require a later appropriation if the award is made.
Therapy‑dog program: Captain Wells described plans to train a puppy ("Dexter") and certify it to serve as an on‑duty therapy dog for department wellness activities. The captain said the dog will be trained and the department will fund training and acclimation; the council approved the program and encouraged fundraising to offset costs.
Why it matters: The SAFER application, if awarded, would directly affect staffing and response capacity; the AFG application would modernize critical breathing apparatus. The therapy‑dog program is framed as a low‑cost wellness measure to support responders after stressful calls.
Quotations: Chief Herrera summarized the SAFER match schedule, and Captain Wells described the therapy dog’s intended benefits: "...the dog was able to break your attention and take your mind off of everything else that was going on for that split second," he said, describing the wellness rationale.
Next steps: If grants are awarded, the chief will return to the council for any required matching appropriation and for project acceptance. Training and certification steps for the therapy dog will be completed before operational deployment.
