Crime & Safety

Kent Drops FEMA Application for Extra Firefighters

Grant would have paid cost of firefighters for 2 years, then expense would shift to city

Kent safety officials are no longer considering a federal grant that would allow the city to .

City officials were studying a grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency that would have paid the lion's share of costs to hire four new firefighters for a period of two years. The catch was the city would have been responsible for the full cost of the firefighters in the third year of the program and every year thereafter.

Kent Fire Chief James Williams said city officials determined internally that the cost was too great for the city to cover in that third year.

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Estimates put the city's share at $380,000 in the third year of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The grant would have paid for basic wages and benefits, so expenses such as uniforms, training and equipment would still have been the city's responsibility in the first two years.

The has 33 firefighters. At least two are expected to retire in the next three years.

Find out what's happening in Kentwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Kent Safety Director William Lillich said they'll continue to plan for the pending retirements.

"We’ll prepare for them as best we can," he said. "We intend to fill any vacancies that take place, we just can’t add any more staff currently."

Williams said part of the reasoning for no longer considering the grant is the cut in state and local government funding in the new state budget. Kent could lose up to $300,000 annually as part of state funding cuts. The city cannot absorb that cut and pay to hire new firefighters.

In April, Kent City Manager Dave Ruller said he couldn't support going after the grant because of the cost to the city in the third year — unless safety officials could find money to cover the cost.

"It’s that third year that gives me some concern," Ruller said. "This would add people who are absolutely needed. But I want to make sure we have money to pay our people who are already on the staff."


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