The SAFER grant budget is approximately $5 million over three years. The Federal share is approximately $3.1 million and the District's share is approximately $1.9 million. The cost share requirement for the grant is significant. During the three-year grant period, the District will be responsible for providing a 25% cost share in the first and second years and a 65% cost share in the third year. Additionally, the grant award limits position costs to the annual cost of a first-year firefighter at the time of the grant application. The District will also be responsible for funding 100% of merit increments and negotiated wage increases over three-year period.
On September 13, 2019, the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, a three-year federal grant in the amount of $4,973,589 to fill nine (9) Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic positions. This action will authorizes the District to accept the fiscal year (FY) 2018 SAFER grant.
The purpose of SAFER grants is to provide funding directly to fire departments to assist them in increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. A fire company is typically staffed with a captain, an engineer, and a firefighter, at least one of which is a paramedic. With funding from a FY 17 SAFER grant, the District added a fourth firefighter position to three ladder truck companies on July 13, 2019. With this grant, the District intends to add a fourth position, a Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic classification, to three additional companies.
Period of Performance: The period of performance for this grant is three years. Extensions to the period of performance are not available.
Cost Share: SAFER grant recipients are required to contribute a cost share toward the actual cost of hiring firefighters under this program.
No Supplanting Allowed: SAFER grant funds may only be used to hire new, additional firefighters and may not be used to supplant funds that would otherwise be available from State or local sources.
Minimum Budget Requirement: At the time of application, SAFER grant applicants are required to certify that their annual budget for fire-related programs and emergency response has not been reduced below 80% of the average funding level in the three years prior to February 28, 2019.
Position Cost Limit: SAFER grant funds may not exceed a certain percentage of the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in that department at the time of the grant application. There is no waiver available for this requirement.
The amount of Federal funding provided to a recipient for hiring a firefighter in any fiscal year may not exceed:
- in the first year of the grant, 75% of the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in the District at the time the grant application is submitted;
- in the second year of the grant, 75% of the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in in the District at the time the grant application was submitted; and
- in the third year of the grant, 35% of the usual annual cost of a first-year firefighter in the District at the time the grant application was submitted.
“Usual annual costs” includes the base salary and standard benefits package (including the average health, dental, and vision costs, FICA, life insurance, retirement/pension, etc.) offered by the District to first-year firefighters. Since the grant will only cover a portion of salary and benefits costs, the District would be responsible for funding the cost share indicated above plus the additional costs of merit increments and negotiated wage increases over three years.
Throughout the performance period of the grant, the District will need to maintain the total number of authorized and funded firefighter positions at the time of award plus the total number of SAFER-funded firefighter positions. The District cannot lay off firefighters during the period of performance, and vacancies that arise through attrition – such as openings created by retirements – must be filled within a reasonable time period.
The SAFER grant budget is $4,973,589 over three years. The Federal share is $3,067,047, and the local agency match is $1,906,542.
This action will also add nine (9) Firefighter-Paramedic Recruit positions in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. After completion of the fire academy, successful recruits will graduate and be placed in fully operational front line positions. The classifications of Firefighter Recruit and Firefighter-Paramedic Recruit are flexibly staffed. Upon successful completion of the District's fire academy, recruits are promoted to Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic (depending on the EMS certification they hold).
The District would not accept the SAFER grant and staffing levels would remain as is.