Up to six new firefighters could be added to Sequim’s workforce by next year if Clallam County Fire District 3 commissioners accept a federal grant by Oct. 1.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) matching grant could tentatively give the district about $1.007 million over three years to cover 75 percent of wage and benefit costs in 2018 and 2019 and 35 percent in 2020.

Fire district officials said in a special meeting on Sept. 12 the funding could alleviate work loads, add training time and improve emergency response times. However, they said adding the positions could mean dipping into reserves and leading the fire district to possibly turn to voters for support to increase tax support sooner than expected.

Commissioners may make a decision at their regular meeting set for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Sequim Station 34, 323 N. Fifth Ave.

The grant, called SAFER, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, could help the district add to its workforce for the first time since 2008 when full-time, on-duty firefighters were added to Station 37 in Blyn.

Currently, the district has 47 full- and part-time employees.

Assistant Chief Eric Quitslund said if six firefighters were added, they’d work out of Station 34 on Fifth Avenue, which is also the district’s busiest.

Quitslund said it would increase the station’s on-duty firefighters from four-six full-time firefighters, and in the district from eight-10 full-time firefighters.

He said part of the goal of the grant is to help the district increase its response times, such as at significant events like structure fires where district officials seek at least 15 personnel on scene within nine minutes at least 90 percent of each similar incident.

Assistant Chief Tony Hudson said the district’s call volume has increased significantly in recent years from 5,115 in 2008 to 7,336 in 2016.

Grant details

If commissioners do accept the grant, district staff would have 180 days to recruit for the positions.

Assistant Chief Dan Orr said it shouldn’t be hard to find qualified firefighters because interest is likely high among current volunteer firefighters and other firefighters across the peninsula and state.

However, what the grant doesn’t include is funding for overtime, training and equipment that the district will need to pay, district officials said.

Alwynn Movius, finance manager for the fire district, estimates that to add six firefighters at entry level in 2018 including the grant covering 75 percent of wages/benefits would cost the district about $293,500.

After the grants end in 2021 and maintaining current expenditures, the six firefighters would cost about $848,900. Both amounts in 2018 and 2021 include approximate costs for equipment, training and more miscellaneous expenses.

Quitslund said FEMA’s grant doesn’t include overtime or holiday pay.

If commissioners accept the grant, the district could accept funds beginning on Feb. 25, 2018.

Orr said the grant is one of three grants they’ve applied for through FEMA and they are waiting on word for the other two.

One grant would add a training coordinator at 25 hours per week to help with volunteer training, which doesn’t require a grant match, and the third grant would help pay for 80 new self-contained breathing apparatuses.

Planning ahead

Last year, the fire district hired Fitch & Associates LLC for $50,000 to conduct a study of the district ranging from from response times to facility assessments.

In the study, it says the district isn’t at capacity for call load, but it could be within three years.

Fire Chief Ben Andrews said the district’s philosophy has been not to wait for a crisis to add on.

“We previously staffed ahead of need (as with Station 37),” he said.

By late 2018, district staff anticipate expenses exceeding revenue if status quo numbers remain such as the EMS levy increasing 1.5 percent annually and the general levy at 1.75 percent each over five years.

Andrews said the revenue stream doesn’t account for anticipated short-term finances such as replacing new apparatuses such as self-contained breathing apparatuses (at about $628,000), putting a new chassis on an ambulance (about $120,000) and an updated collective bargaining agreement with firefighters.

“We don’t want to make it seem like these are a burden,” he said. “The problem is down a few years later anyways even if we take action or not (on accepting the grant). We’re going to have to do something to maintain that level and possibly move that date up sooner.”

Andrews said the district is “going to need to take action” with either proposing a levy lid lift (tentatively to propose a $1.50 per $1,000 assessed home value) and/or an excess levy to maintain current standards along with accounting for the new, needed expenses.

The district previously collected a $1.50 valuation but due to home values going down, the current rate is $1.33.

“It’s not just labor costs, but the cost of doing business,” he said.

“The 1-percent (allowable by state law levy increase in) revenue is not sustainable. With the SAFER grant and status quo and collective bargaining, we’re going to see reserves go down with collective bargaining (anyways).”

Andrews said excess levy proposals are becoming more common statewide to fund other items such as equipment.

“Everyone else is experiencing what we are,” Andrews said. “One-percent revenue is not matching 3-5 percent increases.”

Andrews said adding six firefighters could be a way to demonstrate the value of these positions over a few years to voters “rather than going out and saying we “think” it will help before.”

For more information on the grant and Clallam County Fire District 3, visit www.ccfd3.org or call 360-683-4242.

Editor’s note: This story will be updated for the paper’s next edition on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.