It’s Been a Good News, Bad News Week at Chelan Fire & Rescue
by LakeChelanNow
Back to back news releases this week first announced the need to reconfigure firehouse staffing in 2019 to reflect the six positions lost when the SAFER Grant funding runs out. The next release announced the agency was the recipient of over $800,000 in FEMA funding to replace their self-contained breathing apparatus.
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities. The staffing model relies heavily on volunteer firefighters which allows districts to continue meeting firefighter safety standards for interior rescuing and fire fighting.
In 2016 Chelan Fire & Rescue ran 885 calls. In 2017 it was 938 calls, a 5.7% increase over 2016. So far in 2018 they are at 712 calls and anticipate ending the year around 1,012 calls, a 12.5% increase over 2016 call volume. The initial on-duty response will continue to be backed up by home volunteer firefighters and off duty firefighters called back to work.
CFR did receive a FEMA funding grant of $829,011 for self-contained breathing apparatus, which will improve firefighter safety and reduce the cost of maintenance. Firefighters in Entiat and Orondo also received funding for new breathing equipment.
