Feds award $2.6M for staffing
FIRE DEPARTMENT: Hemet council needs to OK two-year grant.
The Hemet Fire Department may not have to close a fire station after all.
The federal Homeland Security Department has awarded the Fire Department about $2.6 million, enough to avoid station closure for two years, said Fire Chief Matt Shobert.
The $1.3-million-per-year allocation comes through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program, a federal financing mechanism to keep communities from having to close fire stations.
“It’s a miracle at our darkest hour,” said Shobert.
He said the grant will also allow the department to avoid the lesser alternative of a rolling brownout in which each of the four fire stations would be closed in rotation to reduce costs.
The grant will not be enough to reopen station five on the east end of town, Shobert said.
Before the money becomes available officially, the City Council must vote to accept it.
The question is on the July 27 council agenda.
In announcing the grant, Rep. Mary Bono Mack said, “As a result of this award, the Hemet Fire Department will be better equipped to continue its mission of keeping the people and property of Hemet safe from the devastating effects of fires.”
Shobert said the city applied for the grant nine or 10 months ago, even before the financial news coming from budget deliberations got to the point that a station closure became a certainty.
In fact, said Shobert, at the time the application was filed, he had hopes of not only avoiding a station closure and rolling brownouts, but of reopening station five, which was closed about a year ago.
Since then, however, the city’s finances have continued to decline and there is no longer any hope of reopening station five, Shobert said.
“Our firefighters put themselves on the line every day to protect our citizens and communities, and I am honored to be able to support their courageous efforts with the awarding of these funds,” Bono Mack said.
Hemet is also home to a Federal Emergency Management Agency truck.
It is distinguishable from locally purchased equipment by its light green color.
That truck is bought by FEMA and staffed and maintained by the city department at FEMA’s expense.
FEMA also pays all costs of sending out the truck with a city crew when it becomes necessary.
In exchange, the city must put a crew on the truck whenever FEMA calls it out.
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