At its September 12th meeting, the New Rochelle City Council will review the recently awarded $1 million federal Department of Homeland Security grant to increase firefighter staffing.
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, which the City Council supported the fire department’s application for in early August, would provide funds to fill six new fire fighter positions. The grant will cover the salaries and benefits of the six fire fighters for two years. SAFER grants are awarded to hundreds of municipalities across the country each year, recognizing local public safety needs.
Since 2008, staffing for the New Rochelle Fire Department has been cut 15% (168 to 148 members). As New Rochelle fire fighters have left or retired, budget concerns prevented the city’s hiring of replacements. The new fire fighters provided by the grant can be utilized to fill that first responder deficit.
“Adequate fire department staffing makes economic sense for the people of New Rochelle, especially with aid of the SAFER grant,” said Byron Gray, president of the New Rochelle Uniformed Fire Fighters Association. “We commend the mayor and members of the council for recognizing the need and authorizing the effort to achieve the grant. Obviously the Department of Homeland Security agrees it’s time to restock after losing 15% of our total staffing.”
The city has been notified that it will soon be reevaluated by the national Insurance Services Organization (ISO). The ISO analyzes a fire department’s ability to provide enough personnel and equipment to handle a first alarm fire and issues a long term rating on the city’s ability to prevent potential insurance related losses. The last rating was done 15 years ago.
A better ISO rating could have an impact on fire insurance rates for businesses and homeowners. For example, if New Rochelle’s current #2 rating was to drop to a #4 rating (1 is the best, 10 is the worst), it could mean a 16% jump in fire insurance for businesses and an 8% increase for homeowners. The increase in staffing made possible by the SAFER grant would help to bolster sagging staff levels, possibly preventing an increase in insurance rates for home and business owners.
The additional firefighters would also help reduce overtime, which has been necessary to meet the minimum staffing requirement of 27 firefighters on duty at all times.
The NRFD staffs 5 fire stations across the city and responds to a wide variety of fire, hazmat, water rescue and medical emergencies across the city’s 13.2 square miles. New Rochelle is the 7th most populous city in New York with a population of over 77,000 residents in addition to being a transportation hub for Metro North, Amtrak, I-95, Route 1 and the Hutchison River Parkway.
Rumors
If the rumors eminating from the city are valid, and their goal is to reduce the department regardless of a change in the economic climate, and/or the awarding of grants like this one, then they will absolutely decline the grant.
It would be far easier to do this now, then potentially lay off fire-fighters in the future. Their decison with this grant will be a nice forecast for the vision of the city that this administration has. Plus it is not an election year for anyone on council.
While accepting the grant would certainly bolster a depleted NRFD, it would possibly be rejection by council for their own political aspirtions going forward.
Citizens lose either way here. Politics as usual is my forecast.