SAFER Grant: Difficult Decisions – 7/15/2009

Posted by Bob on July 15, 2009 under Daily Blogs | Read the First Comment

No one involved in government expects all decisions to be easy choices.  Elected officials are often required to weigh competing interests where both positions have legitimate merit.  Many times such decisions involve taxpayer dollars.  Last night’s Joint Boards meeting presented such a choice.

Through diligent effort Naugatuck’s Fire Department presented the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses with an opportunity to capitalize on a federal grant program which would have allowed the Borough to employ four (4) additional firefighters.  Known as the SAFER Grant, and acronym for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, the federal program reimburses qualifying municipalities for hiring additional firefighters.  Funding reimbursements are highest in the first (1st) year at ninety (90%) percent descending in percentage to the lowest in the fourth (4th) year at thirty (30%) percent, with a requirement that the municipality fund the newly created position completely in the fifth (5th) year.  More information on the grant program can be accessed through this link.

Naugatuck’s Fire Department has been operating below recommended staffing levels for many years.  The last increase in staff occurred in 1996.  Many changes have taken place in the fire fighting industry during this time, both nationally, regionally and locally.  Volunteers willing and/or qualified to provide fire protection have decreased throughout the country.  Naugatuck’s volunteer department has long-since disbanded and will not return.  While volunteer departments in smaller surrounding towns such as Prospect, Beacon Falls, Middlebury and Oxford still provide mutual assistance during fires, availability of volunteers during business hours combined with longer response times provide many obstacles.  In addition, the Waterbury Fire Department has increased its workload as a result of taking on first-responder status for medical calls.  While mutual aid to Naugatuck still exists, the capacity to respond has decreased in recent years.

For many years our fire department has requested an increase in staffing, only to be denied during budget time.  While there appears to be general consensus that more firefighters are needed, it is hard to justify the additional costs associated with hiring during these difficult economic times.

While the SAFER grant provided Naugatuck the opportunity to meet this important need through the assistance of grant funding, there would still be a significant cost to the Borough.  Because of the existing four (4) shift schedule designed to ensure maximum safety and fire protection, it would be extremely difficult to add firefighters in any number other than four (4).  Given the expected costs to the Borough associated with accepting the SAFER grant, I opposed authorizing funds to be expended to meet the local obligations under the program.  Such costs include but are not limited to increases in wages, medical benefits, overtime, training, vacation and sick pay, workers compensation and pension.  Many of us were surprised at the projected totals of these cumulative costs.  A fiscal analysis of the Borough’s obligations if the grant was approved can be viewed here.  The Joint Boards rejected a motion to accept the grant by a vote of eight (8) to four (4).

I applaud our Chief, Deputy Chief, Fire Commission Members and Firefighters for professionally applying for the grant and presenting it to the Joint Boards.  It is not lost on us that our department does an outstanding job protecting our community at much lower staffing levels than departments serving other similar towns.  (See the Torrington Fire Department summary here).  In addition, our Local 1219 Firefighters Union has been bargaining with the Borough in a cooperative and good faith manner as we address our difficult budget constraints this year and moving forward.

We, as a community, need to develop a long-term plan to address staffing ratios with regard to our fire protection.  The additional burden (approximately $71,000.00) imposed by the SAFER grant on our existing budget was simply too much given the assumptions adopted this spring.  Costs in future years would only increase.  Hopefully we can address pressing needs in future years within the confines of the budget process.