Last year, the Great Bend Fire Department applied for funding for three additional firefighters through the SAFER grant sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Fire Department’s application was unsuccessful, but Chief Mike Napolitano told the Great Bend City Council Monday night that the department would like to try again this year.
Napolitano says 1,856 hours of overtime were paid in 2016 in order to maintain minimum staffing levels. The shortage of firefighters is also a huge concern with overlapping calls.
Mike Napolitano Audio
In 2016, overlapping calls occurred 595 times or 26 percent of the time. If awarded the grant, the Fire Department would be able to hire three additional firefighters that would be partially funded through the grant money.
Council member Wayne Henneke mentioned that there is a matching portion the city would have to commit to and after the three-year grant was over, the city would have a decision on their hands to keep the firefighters.
Wayne Henneke Audio
The cost for three firefighters is 75 percent covered by the SAFER grant for the first two years. The third year is only covered by 35 percent assistance.
The personnel expense for three workers is $123,222 plus $51,027 in benefits, equaling out to $174,249 each year. Great Bend’s 25 percent match in the first two years would be $43,563 and then $113,262 in year three to cover 65 percent.
The city council approved the motion to support and sign the application that must be turned in by February 10.