Missouri City City Council approved submitting an application for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant to fund 16 additional firefighters at an April 1 meeting.
Breaking it down
If awarded, the grant will cover the new firefighters’ salaries and benefits for three years at no cost to the city, according to agenda documents.
City staff will then discuss setting aside money for the positions into the annual budget, Fire Chief Mario Partida said in an email. The Missouri City Fire Department has 92 sworn positions with two vacancies.
The 16 new positions will be assigned to fire stations across the city, Partida said.
What happens next?
FEMA will begin awarding grants July 31 and is required to notify selected stations no later than Sept. 30, Partida said.
If selected, the department will have 180 days to hire the funded positions. Partida said they intend to hire all 16 new firefighters at once.
