(Courtesy/Marion County Fire District 1)
With the help of a federal grant, Marion County Fire District #1 will rehire nine firefighter and paramedic positions and add a three-person fire engine company for 24/7 fire and emergency medical response.
The fire district was awarded the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations increase or maintain their number of available firefighters, according to FEMA’s website.
Chief Kyle McMann said the district unsuccessfully applied for the grant multiple times in the last ten years but received it this time because it showed “a severe need,” having lost $2.4 million from its budget due to two failed levies and laid off 12 firefighter paramedics at the end of 2020.
McMann said the positions are funded for three years, and the district is accepting applications until Nov. 12.
McMann said those who were laid off have first choice of returning to their positions. “We’ve rehired a few because we’ve lost so many people to other agencies since the spring, and then some may decline, but we’ll exhaust that list and then hire,” he said.
The grant will reduce response times throughout the district and guarantee two dedicated 24/7 engine companies, rather than just one.
McMann said the grant funding comes at a particularly difficult time for the district, with calls up by about 18% this year.
“Covid has really cost us more due to PPE and then the call volume,” he said. “So reducing the number of units and having to lay off in the time that we’re seeing the astronomical increases in our call volume, it just put a big stress on response times, inability to get to people quickly, morale, just workload of our firefighters.”
-Ardeshir Tabrizian
