Fla. fire dept. seeks $400k SAFER grant for volunteer firefighters

By Laura Kinsler
The Tampa Tribune, Fla.

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Pasco Fire Rescue will apply this year for a $400,000 federal grant to train, certify and outfit 50 volunteer firefighters.

Training Chief Shawn Whited said the department has about 200 volunteer firefighters who serve stations from Port Richey to Lacoochee. "It's a diverse cross-section," he said. "We have a lot of retired guys who will join to keep up their certification and help out when they can. They still have passion for the fire service."

Dozens of aspiring firefighters also volunteer for the department. "They have the option to report to any station and check in with the captain and fill in where they can," he said. "They get called out to every structure fire."

Whited said if Pasco wins the Staffing of Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, it would pay training, bunker gear and health examinations for those volunteers. The department also would be able to hire a full-time transition coordinator, who would convert the volunteer program into a countywide reserve firefighter unit.

Fifteen of the volunteers would receive tuition and course materials to complete Emergency Medical Technician Training. "Our goal is to get them certified so when we have a hiring, we would open that up to the volunteers first," Whited said.

Pasco County won a $2.3 million SAFER grant in 2012, which allowed the department to hire 18 full-time firefighters. The grant paid their salaries for two years.

Commissioners on Tuesday authorized the department to submit the grant application. The deadline is March 6. Whited said the Department of Homeland Security takes up to nine months to announce the recipients.

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