WASHINGTON -- The federal government gave $9.8 million to the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department this year to hire 75 new firefighters, restoring some job losses forced by budget cuts.
And in seeking that money the department painted a dire picture of its ability to protect Atlantans, according to a September 2010 grant application newly obtained by Channel 2 Action News in a public records request. The department describes itself as understaffed to the point that without federal aid “the potential of injuries and deaths of firefighters and civilians are greatly increased.”
Cuts in the city's fiscal 2009 budget forced the fire department to eliminate 122 positions, which, according to the grant application, left it too short-handed to meet response time standards. That year the city faced a budget shortfall in the tens of millions and many programs were cut.
The application stated that injuries to firefighters rose from 146 in 2008 to 182 in 2009 while over the same span civilian injuries rose from 14 to 24 and residential property losses jumped 25 percent. “The occurrences of injuries and property losses directly and indirectly tie to our staffing challenges,” the application stated.
In all, the department projected that was just 57 percent compliant with standards set by the National Fire Protection Association, down from fully compliant before the cuts.
The two-year grant was announced in February, and the department has returned to its pre-cuts level of authorized positions as the city has also funded staff increases. But a department spokesman said that because many firefighters are near retirement, the department might need to seek more federal aid to replenish its ranks.
Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran praised the SAFER program, which administers the grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in an interview with Channel 2 Action News. He has intimate knowledge of the program, having worked at FEMA as the U.S. fire administrator.
Cochran said the grant was essential in helping the department get back to full strength, and with the proper staffing level, “the vulnerabilities that lead to injury and death to firefighters are significantly reduced or overcome.”
But the program is facing funding challenges in Congress. House Republicans are seeking to cut SAFER, citing high costs per firefighter, though next year's federal budget remains in flux.
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