Frisco would hire 12 more firefighter-paramedics with help from a $2.6 million federal grant under a resolution on the City Council's consent agenda Tuesday, Oct. 20. The city would cover the rest of the cost, about $1.86 million, over the grant's three years.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program, known as SAFER, pays part of the salaries of front-line firefighters. In Frisco's case the new positions would staff a fourth front-line truck that is expected to be delivered in fall 2027, according to a memo from Interim Fire Chief W. Clay Carpenter.
The city applied in June, just ahead of the deadline, and the council ratified the application on July 7. FEMA notified the city of the award in a letter dated Sept. 25.
Who pays what
The grant covers only the "usual annual costs" of each position: base salary and standard benefits. It does not pay for overtime, extra pay such as certification pay, or equipment like uniforms and protective gear. The city must also put up a 25% match in each of the first two years and 65% in the third.
The memo puts salary and benefits for a first-year firefighter-paramedic at $116,898 a year, or about $1.4 million a year for all 12. Over three years, the positions would cost $4,452,900 including the costs the grant will not reimburse.
| | Grant | City match | Costs the grant won't cover | |---|---|---|---| | Year 1 | $1,052,082 | $350,694 | $220,932 | | Year 2 | $1,052,082 | $350,694 | $11,820 | | Year 3 | $490,971.60 | $911,804.40 | $11,820 | | Total | $2,595,135.60 | $1,613,192.40 | $244,572 |
The city's share comes to $1,857,764.40. The Fire Department would absorb the costs the grant won't cover through its annual operating budget, the memo says.
