Thanks to a $1,011,000 FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Act) grant, the Hillsboro Fire Protection District will be able to hire six new firefighters, adding to its current full-time roster of nine firefighters.
The fire district will receive the FY2019 SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant money in installments of $337,000 per year over three years, so after that, the three jobs would have to be eliminated unless the district comes up with other funding to cover their pay and benefits, Fire Chief Brian Gaudet said.
Not that he’s complaining.
Gaudet said he was pleasantly surprised when FEMA notified him the district had been awarded the grant.
“We applied in late 2019 for a grant from FEMA,” Gaudet said. “We were notified we got the grant in late September. We had no idea it was going to come through and we just got an email one day saying we were chosen for the grant.
“The SAFER grant in the past had been on a cost-sharing basis, meaning the first year of the grant FEMA picked up the whole amount and then the subsequent years the fire district was responsible for having to pay a portion of the salaries. But, because of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, it was changed to 100-percent funding for three years. Before that, we would have had to decide whether to accept it.”
Gaudet said the district can now begin the process to add the six firefighters, who are expected to begin work in February 2021.
“We’ll post hiring notices and authorize a hiring process where they will have to understand the positions will be considered temporary,” he said.
The SAFER grant money cannot be used for anything other than paying for personnel, Gaudet said.
“It’s strictly for salary and benefits,” he said.
Gaudet said the district will need a tax increase at some point in the next three years to keep the new firefighters on.
He acknowledged that the district asked voters to approve a 50-cent tax increase in June, and it failed.
However, Gaudet said the district did not educate the public about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the district’s finances and will focus on that point if and when the district seeks another increase.
The district’s current tax rate is $0.5247 per $100 assessed valuation.
Gaudet said the six additional firefighters will benefit the district and its residents.
With the extra personnel, the district will be able to staff two engines houses 24 hours a day every day, instead of just Station 1 along Business 21 in Hillsboro.
“It’s going to be extremely beneficial to the people to have staffing for two engine companies,” he said. “It definitely will reduce response time in certain areas of the district. It will allow us to open our station on Hwy. B 24-7. Up to now, it’s only been open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.”
The district also has about 20 volunteer firefighters, Gaudet said.