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San Rafael department seeks council support for three relief firefighters and a match for FEMA fireboat grant
Summary
Commissioners were briefed that the draft city budget includes funding to hire three relief firefighters to reduce overtime and that the department has a $900,000 FEMA grant for a replacement fireboat but will need a substantial city match (new boats cost about $1.45–1.5 million).
San Rafael fire officials told the commission the city’s draft fiscal‑year budget includes a plan to hire three additional relief firefighters to reduce mandatory overtime and to fund the local match needed to replace the department’s aging fireboat.
Meeting participants said the department received a $900,000 FEMA grant for a replacement fireboat but that new fireboats currently cost roughly $1.45–1.5 million; officials said the current boat is appraised at about $150,000 and that a significant city match will be required for replacement.
Commissioners were told an RFP issued in January produced five vendor proposals and that the preferred maker matches the department’s current vessel and has been used by neighboring Southern Marin departments. Officials said if the budget authorization is in place in July, the selected vendor could deliver the new boat in about a year.
The draft budget also contemplates hiring three relief firefighters to create a relief pool that would staff shifts for personnel on vacation or sick leave, with the explicit goal of reducing overtime and mandatory staffing burdens. The commission was invited to attend City Council budget meetings and to comment in support when the item appears on the council agenda.
No formal council action was taken by the commission at the meeting; the draft budget and proposed matches will be decided by the City Council in an upcoming session.
