Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Department topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Franklin County court votes to apply for FEMA SAFER grant after debate; request reduced to three hires
Summary
After an extended debate about timing and long-term cost, Franklin County Fiscal Court approved applying for a FEMA SAFER grant to add fire personnel, amending the original request from six hires to three; the grant would cover a majority of salary costs early in the award period, with rising local match obligations in later years.
Franklin County’s fiscal court voted on June 10 to authorize the county to apply for a FEMA SAFER grant to add career firefighter positions, after lengthy discussion about staffing needs, timing and ongoing budget impacts.
Chief Brewer and Assistant Chief Mertz presented the department’s proposal to seek federal funding to hire additional personnel. "The request is to apply for two additional personnel per shift, which will be a total of six," Chief Brewer said, describing the department’s effort to raise average staffing toward NFPA guidance and to improve response capacity for structure fires and tanker shuttle operations.
Court members raised multiple fiscal questions: whether the additional staff had been anticipated in the county budget; the timing of the grant award relative to a planned national search for a new fire chief; and the county’s long-term obligation when federal support declines. Treasurer Amy warned that the county’s insurance-premium-tax revenue trend would not cover the full, ongoing fourth-year cost and that general-fund support could be required; one court member cited an estimate of roughly $750,000 of additional county funding in later years if all positions were retained.
Several magistrates said they were sympathetic to safety concerns but uneasy about committing to six positions without fuller fiscal analysis. After discussion, a court member moved to amend the application request from six hires to three; that amendment was seconded and the court approved applying for three positions by roll-call vote.
Grant structure discussed in the meeting: the presenters said the federal share would cover about 75% of employee costs in years one and two and roughly 35% in year three, with the county required to provide the remaining match. The court emphasized that applying for the grant does not commit the county to accept an award; final acceptance and any long-term funding decisions would require further court action.
Why it matters: the county has reported a more-than-100% increase in annual fire runs since 2005 — from about 1,700 to roughly 3,590 — while staffing levels have not kept pace, officials said. The court’s decision to apply for three positions signals a partial step toward easing staffing shortfalls while reserving broader fiscal decisions for later.
What’s next: the county will file the SAFER application; if awarded, the county would have a period to accept or decline the funds and would return to the court to authorize final acceptance and any required budget adjustments.
