The Buckeye Fire Medical Rescue Department has put its hat in the ring for nearly $3 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency grant funding to hire 15 new firefighters at Victory Fire Station 709.
The FEMA funds would come from its Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program with a city contribution of $1.8 million over a three-year period for a total of nearly $4.8 million.
"The addition of 15 new firefighters will improve response time by reducing the need for current firefighters to cover other distant response areas," read city documents.
According to the documents, the national average ratio is 2.5 firefighters to every 1,000 residents. Buckeye's ratio currently sits at 1.14 firefighters. The grant would bring that up to 1.27.
Should the grant be awarded, the funding would run for three years after which the city could either keep the firefighters on staff through general funding, apply for additional grant monies or reduce or eliminate the roles. The positions are planned to run from Fiscal Years 2027-30.
