The Ventura Fire Department will use a $4 million federal grant to help maintain 11 firefighter-paramedic positions.
Ventura City Council members accepted the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant to cover salaries and benefits for the positions from March 2027 through March 2030 during its Oct. 6 meeting, according to a news release.
The city previously used the SAFER grant to fund 13 firefighter-paramedic positions through February 2027. As part of the fiscal year 2027 budget process, Ventura permanently added two of those 13 positions to its general fund operating budget.
“We are grateful to FEMA for this investment in Ventura’s public safety,” said Ventura Fire Chief Kris McDonald in an Oct. 20 statement.
The grant
from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency will allow the fire department to keep its staffing level at 92 full-time positions, said Emily Ayala, a spokesperson for Ventura, in an email.
“These are considered two separate grants, not a continuation,” she said, adding that without the new grant, the 11 positions would not have a funding source and the department’s authorized positions would be 81 instead of 92.
According to the release, the SAFER grant program helps fire departments increase the number of firefighters in their communities, meet industry standards and maintain 24-hour staffing.
The approximately $6.6 million cost of the additional positions will come from the federal funding and $2.53 million in matching city funds.
The 11 personnel will improve the department’s response to simultaneous emergencies, maintain coverage during major incidents and support emergency response in Ventura and Ventura County under existing agreements, according to the release.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: $4M federal grant to fund 11 Ventura firefighter-paramedics
