The Decatur City Council voted unanimously to authorize city staff to begin accepting $2.1 million in federal grant funding to hire 12 firefighters starting early next year. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant is expected to help Decatur Fire move closer to National Fire Protection Association staffing standards. The new firefighters are expected to start in February and will help fully staff Fire Station No. 2, which is expected to open in early 2027.
The grant will cover about $2.1 million of the estimated $3.4 million cost of the positions over three years, leaving the city with about $1.3 million. Under the grant terms, Decatur must cover 25 percent of personnel costs in each of the first two years and 65 percent in the third year. City Manager Nate Mara outlined a plan to cover those costs and possible funding sources to keep the staffing after the grant ends. Mara said the city's general fund impact for the 2027 fiscal year is $48,000.
Decatur Fire Chief Deroy Bennett said the city's growth, call volume, existing staffing and construction of Station No. 2 helped strengthen the application. Mara said a firefighter may have to choose between reducing heat and removing a victim, and that there are days the department cannot do both at once. Bennett and Mara have discussed using existing protective equipment or renting equipment and uniforms for new hires.