FEMA SAFER firefighter hiring grant
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.
- What: Fiscal 2025 FEMA SAFER grant (about $4.6 million, garbled in the captions) to hire 12 firefighters, with a city match of $1,557,653.34. Raises sworn firefighter positions from 146 to 158, plus $150,000 for equipment.
- Where it stands: Accepted by unanimous roll with immediate effect on 2026-10-20.
Main points
- The fire chief said this is the third SAFER grant the department has won, a three-year grant with a federal cost share, and that rising call volume has required adding firefighters. He expects it to improve response times and keep all trucks in service.
- Council noted the city has kept the staff hired under earlier grants rather than laying them off, and that staffing is at a record high.
- Sareini credited the grants and philanthropy department created under Mayor Hammoud. A resident complimented the grant writing; another noted a past charter commission outcome that was opposed by the firefighters' union.
Sources
Discussion time
About 6 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-20 - City Council | 6 |
Log
- 2026-10-20 - City Council — Grant accepted by unanimous roll; fire chief described the third SAFER award and council praised retention of staff.