Decatur Takes a $2.1 Million Federal Grant to Hire 12 Firefighters

Decatur is about to add 12 firefighters. Federal money will cover most of the cost for the first three years. After that, the city will pay the full cost.

The Decatur City Council voted Monday to authorize city staff to begin accepting a $2.1 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant, known as SAFER, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Wise County Messenger reported. The new firefighters are expected to start in February.

Why the department needs them

According to the Messenger, the extra staff will bring Decatur Fire closer to National Fire Protection Association staffing standards. The hires will also staff Fire Station No. 2, which is expected to open in early 2027.

Earlier this month, City Manager Nate Mara described the problem in plain terms. "A firefighter could have to make a decision, are we going to try to reduce the heat or are we going to try to remove the victim. There are days that Decatur Fire can't do both at the same time," he said.

Fire Chief Deroy Bennett said the city's growth, call volume, current staffing and construction of Station No. 2 helped strengthen the application. Bennett was honored at the start of the meeting for 40 years of service to Decatur. He said he is confident the department can hire and prepare all 12 by February, and it already has a list of qualified candidates from earlier openings. Under the grant, the city has 180 days to hire and train the new firefighters, and it must work to keep its staffing at that level.

According to the Messenger, FEMA made $324 million available through the fiscal year 2025 SAFER program to an estimated 190 fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations nationwide.

Who pays, and when

The positions are expected to cost about $3.4 million over three years. The grant covers about $2.1 million of that, and the city is responsible for about $1.3 million. Decatur must pay 25% of personnel costs in each of the first two years and 65% in the third. After that, it takes on the full cost.

Mara laid out a plan to keep the first-year hit small:

• Hire firefighters certified as emergency medical technicians rather than paramedics.

• Wait until February to make the hires. Together with the first step, that lowers the city's fiscal 2027 share from $185,556 to $177,976.

• Move $130,000 from fire truck contingency reserves to cover the department's lease payments, which frees the same amount in the fire budget for salaries.

That leaves a general fund cost of $48,000 in fiscal 2027.

"Through creative budgeting with the fire department itself, and of course, potentially dipping into fund balance, this year should be a non-issue based on that creative formula of funding," Mara said.

To hold down equipment costs, Bennett and Mara have discussed outfitting new hires with existing protective gear or renting equipment and uniforms.

Decatur City Hall in April 2013. Photo: Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The long-term bill

Mara is counting on growth to pay for the extra staff once the federal money runs out. According to the Messenger, about 2,400 new housing units were planned or underway in Decatur as of Oct. 27. Mara pointed to the city's record sales tax growth and the expected residential development. If that falls short, he said, the city could tap its tax increment reinvestment zone, part of which is set aside for police and fire, or work the cost into a future property tax rate.

He was direct about that last possibility. "I want to be very transparent. If the fiscal year 2029 comes around, and by then, we've had similar experiences with our state legislative body, at the state level and control mechanisms continue to change over legislative sessions, I cannot tell you I can't be asking the council in 2029 to consider supporting these firefighters with a tax change," he said. He added that he does not predict that outcome.

The extra firefighters could also affect Decatur's ISO rating, which insurers use as one factor in setting property insurance premiums. The city's current rating is 3, and 1 is the best possible score.

Our view

Keeping people safe is one of the most basic jobs a city has, and a fire crew that has to choose between fighting the fire and pulling out the victim does not have enough people. Decatur was right to go after this grant.

Federal grants run out, though, and the people of Decatur will be paying for these 12 jobs long after Washington stops. Mara deserves credit for saying so out loud. Residents should hold the council to the growth-based plan and watch the numbers each budget season. Other cities are asking voters directly about the cost of public safety, including University Park and Abilene.