ORANGE — Fire Chief James Young has received permission from the Selectboard to apply for a SAFER grant to increase the number of full-time firefighters on staff by three. Awards are expected to be announced by Oct. 1.
If the town is awarded a grant, voters will decide if they will accept it. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) provides funding to help increase or maintain the number of trained, “frontline” firefighters in a department.
Young said the grant, which would require a three-year commitment from the town, covers a percentage of the first three years of employment, beginning in April 2019.
“I don’t think there’s ever going to be a good time to come before you. This will increase the budget,” Young told the Selectboard recently. “The town will pick up the full cost after three years. I want to take advantage of this grant platform.”
In the first and second years, the grant pays 75 percent of the costs and the town pays 25 percent. In the third year, the grant pays 35 percent and the town is responsible for 65 percent of the cost.
The town took advantage of a SAFER grant in 2008. Awarded in 2009 and accepted by the town, the grant helped increase full-time staff from six to nine, allowing an increase in a shift from two to three.
“And it remains at that level today,” said Young.
He said recent protocol changes require two paramedics in the back of the ambulance administering to any patient deemed “critical” and one EMT or paramedic driving.
“Many calls require three people,” he said, which leaves the fire station unstaffed.
Adding three full-time firefighters will increase turn-out and response times, reduce the number of requests for mutual aid to neighboring towns and, depending on the situation, allow operation of both ambulances without calling in off-duty firefighters and EMTs.
He said four men are required on a fire engine, and the department relies on on-call personnel. Having more full-time firefighters will allow the department to respond to overlapping calls.
“In the last three years, we had (on average) 287 simultaneous calls,” said Young. “We are designed to handle one call at a time and rely on off-duty people, if another call comes in.”
He said mutual aid requests have resulted in a loss of about $40,000 per year in revenue to the town.
“Having more full-time firefighters has the potential to recoup such costs to the town,” he said.
He noted that increasing the number of full-time firefighters will decrease the number of times the fire station is unstaffed when residents may stop in for a burn permit or in the event of an urgent medical emergency.
“We don’t want them to find the station unstaffed,” he said.
The starting salary for an entry-level firefighter is roughly $55,000, working a 56-hour work week.
Using general figures for average mid-level firefighters (the salaries would be adjusted depending on a variety of variables, such as experience) Young presented the following:
In 2019, with three months remaining in the fiscal year, the cost to the town would be $14,855 (with the grant picking up 75 percent, $44,566); in fiscal year 2020 the town would pay $61,800 (grant picking up 75 percent, $178,268); in fiscal year 2021 the town would pay $84,857 (grant picking up 75 percent, $157,591); and in the final nine months of the grant, the town would pay $120,563 (the grant picking up 35 percent, $64,918).
These figures include the salaries and benefits available to all town employees (health, dental and vision insurance, retirement, paid days off and holidays).
Thereafter, the town would pick up the total cost of roughly $242,000 a year.
“I have no intention of increasing the number of people on the Fire Department and then laying people off in three years,” said Young. “I intend to use this to ease the burden on taxpayers the first three years of the program, and then, maintain the staffing level of four firefighters per shift.”
Selectwoman Jane Peirce, who said she is in favor of it and saying it is a good way to get additional staff on board, said, “We had this (grant) before. What happens if the Town Meeting funds only the first and second years?”
“The federal government will request for money back,” Young replied.
Selectman Richard Sheridan said an affirmative vote will start the application process.
“Then it goes to town meeting,” he said. “I am in support of it. It gives people a chance to decide.”
Young said the application will take a full month to complete, and he will work with a FEMA grant specialist on it and present it to selectmen.