CA Department Using Grant to Hire Six FFs
By Peter Hegarty
Source East Bay Times
Sept. 17 -- ALAMEDA, CA -- The ranks of the Alameda Fire Department will be boosted by six firefighters, thanks to a federal grant totaling $1.8 million over the next three years.
The money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will go toward a matching grant that will pay for the six vacant positions.
The fire department is recruiting and hopes to have the future firefighters training at an academy as soon as January 2019.
“It’s wonderful,” Alameda fire Capt. Jim Colburn said about the injection of money. “Without it, we would have to raise it somehow for our budget. There would be no way to do this otherwise.”
For the first two years, the grant, known as “Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response,” will cover 75 percent of personnel costs, and the city will kick in 25 percent.
In the third year, however, the federal money will pay for 35 percent of the costs and the city will pick up the remaining 65 percent.
The money from the grant equals about $100,000 annually per firefighter over the three years.
This year marks the fourth time that Alameda has received the grant, which is aimed at helping local agencies maintain staffing levels to ensure an adequate response to emergencies.
The City Council will vote whether to accept the grant Oct. 16.
In a statement, Alameda fire Chief Edmond Rodriguez thanked Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who represents the Appropriations Committee on the House Budget Committee, for supporting FEMA-based grant programs.
The department has received approximately $10 million in federal grants since 2003, Colburn said.
Previous grants have helped pay for the department’s fire boat and other equipment, including breathing apparatus.
“As part of its commitment to diversity, the AFD will be hiring candidates funded by this grant that are reflective of our great and diverse community,” Rodriguez said.
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