HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/20/2015 COUNCIL WORK SESSION
January 20, 2015
Time as indicated below
Harold E. Getty Council Chambers
Roll Call.
Approval of Agenda, as proposed or amended.
4:20 p.m. Staffing For Adequate Fire And Emergency Response (SAFER)
Grant—Submitted by Pat Treloar, Chief of Fire Services.
ADJOURNMENT
Suzy Schares, CMC
City Clerk/Human Resource Director
CITY OF WATERLOO
Council Communication
Council Meeting: January 12, 2015
Prepared:January 6, 2015
Dept. Head Signature:
# of Attachments:
SUBJECT: COUNCIL WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS SAFER GRANT
Submitted by: Pat Treloar, Chief of Fire Services
Recommended City Council Action:
Summary Statement:
Waterloo Fire Rescue is seeking city council support and approval to apply for a Staffing
For Adequate Fire And Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant.
Expenditure Required:
Source of Funds:
Policy Issue
Alternative
Background Information:
The SAFER Grant Program provides funding directly to fire departments and national,
state, local, or tribal organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters to assist them
in increasing the number of firefighters to help fire departments meet industry minimum
standards and attain 24-hour staffing to protect communities from fire and fire related hazards,
and to fulfill traditional missions of fire depaita:ents.
The SAFER Grant Program is comprised of two categories:
Hiring of Firefighters
o Including subcategories for rehiring, retention, attrition, and new hires
o Career, combination, and volunteer fire departments are eligible to apply
Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters
o Combination fire departments, volunteer fire departments, and national, state, local, or
tribal organizations that represent the interests of volunteer firefighters are eligible to apply
SAFER Grant Program Basic Information:
• Cost Share: SAFER Grantees are not required to contribute a cost share towards the cost
of hiring firefighters under this program.
• Salary limits per firefighter: SAFER Grant funds may be used to fund the full cost of hiring
a firefighter under this program.
• Maintenance of Effort:Applicants are not required to demonstrate 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.
• Supplanting requirement: Grants may be used for the purpose of retaining firefighters
currently employed who are facing imminent layoffs or for the rehiring of laid off firefighters.
• Period of performance: For Hiring of Firefighters category grants, the period of
performance has been reduced to two years.
Program Priorities Hiring of Firefighters Category
1) First priority: Rehiring laid off firefighters.
2) Second priority: Retention of firefighters who face imminent layoff or filling
positions vacated through attrition but not filled due to economic circumstances.
3) Third priority: Hiring new firefighters.
The goal of the SAFER Grant Program is to assist local fire departments with staffing and
deployment capabilities in order to respond to emergencies, and assure that communities have
adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. WFR will be requesting permission to
submit a grant application to fund the hiring of 3 firefighters.
Below is a link to view the entire SAFER Grant guidance. To activate link hit the Ctrl button
and then left click.
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1419268822811-
9eb57f05df3f6ab 1763d24e8c31ca7ec/FY 2014 SAFER FOA.pdf