The Augusta Fire Department has been awarded a $4,928,040 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants program.
This is the first time the Department has received this grant and it is the largest of its kind in Augusta Fire Department history, according to Chief Antonio Burden.
The SAFER funding will be used to offset personnel costs and will allow the department to hire 30 positions. Currently, the department has 19 vacancies.
Burden says he is excited for the department as the grant has a highly competitive application process.
“The award of these funds will provide additional support to hire well-trained firefighters so we can effectively provide fire and life safety services to the residents and visitors of Richmond County,” Burden said.
MORE: Augusta Fire Department may not get rescue plan funding after all
Burden made the announcement to the Augusta Commission shortly after asking the members of the Public Safety Committee to reconsider his earlier request for $6,761,618 of American Rescue Plan funding for equipment purchases.
According to Burden, the department needs to purchase seven support vehicles, a pumper engine and an aerial ladder truck. Next year, the city will need to replace nine light vehicles, one pumper engine, one tiller ladder truck, one tender and one ambulance.
Burden’s initial request was approved by the Public Safety Committee in September, however, the full commission sent the request back to committee at the Oct. 4 meeting.
At the Oct. 11 meeting, the committee revisited the issue and District 6 Commissioner Ben Hasan warned that since there is no money in SPLOST 8 for the Fire Department, denying the fire chief’s request might force the commission to raise taxes next year.
“If this is the path you want to take, and I respect it, but when it comes to tax time, when it comes to the Fire Department, you are not going to be able to accept a rollback (of the milage rate),” Hasan said.
After a short debate, the committee cut the amount down to $3 million. The measure now goes to the full commission for approval.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
