City To Seek Federal Grant to Adequately Staff Fire Department

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – At today’s regularly scheduled City Council meeting, Mayor Paulette Guajardo and the Council approved a resolution to seek a $4 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for salaries and benefits for 15 additional firefighters for the Corpus Christi Fire Department's (CCFD) four-person staffing plan over a three-year period.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program aims to help communities meet basic fire safety standards and ensure that fire departments have enough staff available around the clock. This helps provide better protection against fires and related dangers. The program also supports fire departments in meeting staffing and operational guidelines set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

The NFPA is a U.S.-based international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property damage, and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards.

The City aims to have four firefighters on its frontline fire teams. Only 8 out of 22 fire units have this staffing level. To reach this goal for all 22 units, the City needs to add 86 more firefighters, bringing the total to 541.

Currently, there are 455 authorized firefighter positions. The grant would allow for 15 additional positions, increasing the total to 470. The funding will speed up reaching the four-person staffing goal within the next five years.

This marks the third time the City has sought this grant. In 2013, it successfully received $3,380,824, which was used to support hiring 34 firefighters in the CCFD.

“Public safety is a top priority for the City of Corpus Christi,” said Mayor Paulette Guajardo. “Pursuing this federal grant reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring our fire department is fully staffed and prepared to respond when our community needs them most. This effort is about safeguarding lives, protecting property, and supporting the dedicated professionals who serve on the front lines every day.”

“We are excited about the opportunity to apply for the SAFER Grant to help move the Corpus Christi Fire Department forward and take steps to achieve our four-person staffing goal. By having four firefighters assigned to fire apparatus, we are able to meet a national standard and create a more effective and efficient fire department. Four firefighters not only improves the safety of our citizens, it increases the safety for our firefighters operating on incidents.” Fire Chief Brandon Wade said.

For more information, media representatives can contact Senior Public Information Officer Gabriela Morrow at 361-826-3583 or email Gabrielam@cctexas.com.