On August 24, 2018, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) was awarded a three-year federal grant in the amount of $4,976,451 to fill nine (9) Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic positions. The grant was awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The grant program is Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, also known as SAFER. This authorizes the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) to accept the award for a fiscal year (FY) 2017 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (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 this grant, the District intends to add a fourth position, a Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic classification, on our busiest ladder truck companies at Fire Station 6 in Concord, Fire Station 83 in Antioch, and Fire Station 84 in Pittsburg.
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 November 24, 2003.
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:
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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;
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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
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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 $4,976,451 over three years. The Federal share is $3,068,812, and the local agency match is $1,907,639.
Additional actions necessary to facilitate the acceptance of this grant include the Fire Board of Directors adopting a Position Adjustment Request (P300) to add the nine (9) firefighter positions to the District’s total number of authorized positions, as well as approving a side letter with IAFF Professional Firefighters, Local 1230 that outlines the use of the nine (9) firefighter positions. The P300 will be submitted for Board approval (on consent) in October.
The District would not accept the SAFER grant and staffing levels would remain as is.