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Acton Select Board hears fire department grant wins and considers SAFER grant to fund new staff
Summary
Fire Chief Wayne Ham told the Select Board the department received a $15,000 EMS grant (bringing total grants this year to roughly $17,000), and he and Chief Smith plan to apply for the federal SAFER grant by July 3 to fund new positions; the board asked for a post‑grant budget forecast before deciding what to pursue.
Fire Chief Wayne Ham told the Town of Acton Select Board on May 21 that the department recently received a $15,000 EMS grant — bringing total grant awards this year to about $17,000 — and plans to use part of the funds to buy multiband radios and training mannequins.
Chief Ham said he and Chief Smith intend to apply for the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, which is open through July 3 and can provide full salary and benefits funding for multi‑year positions. He said the department’s goal for the application was to request funding large enough to support four positions, though the SAFER grant process and awards vary by application and scope.
Board members pressed for fiscal clarity on the longer‑term implications of accepting grant‑funded positions. David Winchell Jr. asked the chiefs to provide a forecast showing how the department budget would be affected after federal funding ends; Chief Ham agreed to return with numbers for the Board to review before a decision is made about applying.
Chief Ham also described staffing plans that would pair two full‑time positions with a per‑diem backup, and he noted a current shortage of available per‑diem workers. The Board discussed the tradeoffs between expanding staff via grant funding and the town’s obligation to sustain positions once grant support lapses.
The discussion concluded without a formal vote to apply for SAFER; the Board directed department leadership to prepare a budget‑impact estimate for review at a future meeting.
Ending: The Select Board did not vote to submit a SAFER application at the meeting; Chief Ham will return with a post‑grant budget forecast to inform a later decision.
