Grant, if received,
could prevent firefighter layoffs
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — City officials are pursuing a 2012 Safer Grant which, if received, would prevent the reduction in staff from four firefighters to three per shift at the Presque Isle Fire Department for the two years of the grant.
City councilors authorized city officials to send a letter of support for the grant during a meeting earlier this month.
“Essentially this is the same grant we applied for in 2011 to fund four firefighters, three per shift and one for daytime. We’re reapplying, so we’re looking for the Council’s endorsement to submit a letter, along with the application,” said City Manager Jim Bennett.
Bennett said if approved, the grant would help cover expenses at the PIFD for the two-year period.
“The grant would fund four positions for two years, including benefits, with no match requirements,” he said.
One of the requirements to obtain the funds would be no cuts in staffing for the two-year grant period.
“There would be no elimination of staffing for the two years funded by the grant,” said Bennett.
Fire Chief Darrell White submitted a memo to Council offering more details.
“The PIFD will be applying for the 2012 Safer Grant seeking the funding of four firefighters over the next two years. The grant would cover all salaries and benefit expenses. This grant would be along the same lines as the 2011 Safer Grant request; we would look to fund the three firefighters that were identified in the resolve as possibly being laid off at year’s end,” wrote White.
White said it would further give the department one new hire, working a 40-hour work week, to help with daytime coverage for both the fire and code office.
“The 40-hour-per-week position would also help to reduce overtime cost to the department as we would not require filling during the daytime when that position is filled Monday through Friday and then utilizing the per-diems for the nighttime shift. This is a change from the 2011 request where we had asked for a deputy chief to be hired to fill the 40-hour-per-week position. We now believe that a firefighter would be more beneficial to the city and also at a reduced cost,” said White.
The fire chief said once the two-year period has ended, Council could lay off firefighters as they deemed necessary.
“Unless there was a need to reduce staffing below the current thought of three per shift as being discussed currently, it appears to be a sound and practical solution to our current financial woes,” said White.
Councilor Dick Engels made the motion to authorize a letter of support, seconded by Councilor Bruce Sargent. The measure was approved by a 6-0 vote.
The grant deadline was Aug. 16. Once submitted, no changes or additions can be made to the application.
“At this time, we have not been denied the 2011 Safer Grant nor have we been awarded it. In the event we are to receive the 2011 grant, we could then pull or deny the 2012 grant without penalty,” said White.
