MISSOULA — A $7.5 million federal grant awarded to the city this month will give the Missoula Fire Department a jump on a number of needs when added to the fire levy approved by voters in June.
Voters approved the $7 million annual levy to fund the cost of a new fire company, to build a new fire station and to fund the Mobile Support Team, among other things.
But now, the federal grant will fund the salaries of the new fire company and its 20 firefighters for three years, enabling the city to direct funding from the levy toward other department needs, according to Fire Chief Gordy Hughes.
“The grant does provide some cushion within our levy to address items not budgeted for through the fire department's ask earlier this year,” Hughes said. “The approval of the levy and the grant will greatly enhance our ability to respond to emergencies more effectively and efficiently.”
Even with the levy, the department was facing a number of unfunded needs. But with funding provided by the grant, Hughes said the department can now build a new maintenance facility at Station 4 and, within it, create a place to house members of the Mobile Support Team.
“We've outgrown our capacity of Station 4 and were lucky enough to identify property on site there to build a larger maintenance facility and house the Mobile Support Team,” Hughes said. “This grant will provide cushion within the levy to build that facility at Station 4.”
Part of the fire levy was also earmarked to fund the construction of Station 6 in the greater Mullan area, where the new fire company will be housed. With the grant awarded, the city can now direct a portion of the levy toward debt reduction when building the new station.
Members of the City Council said doing so will provide additional relief down the road.
“I equate that to a slightly bigger down payment in building Station 6, which means the ongoing payment for that will be slightly less, which will free up additional funds each year the levy is in place,” said council member Stacy Anderson. “Part of that levy ask was the ongoing debt service for building Station 6.”
Hughes added that the department may now accelerate the purchase of the fire apparatus needed to equip the new station.
“We have to purchase that apparatus for Station 6, as well as the core replacement we see year after year,” he said. “The cost of an engine is through the roof. We went ahead and made orders, which are three years out, to get on the books because we want to stand up that Station 6 sooner rather than later.”
Due to attrition, Hughes said the department has already hired six new firefighters to fill vacancies. It also has extended job offers to the first 10 of the 20 firefighters needed to staff Station 6.
“They've accepted those invitations to start December 2 of this year, so we can bring them into the fold quicker than we'd anticipated,” Hughes said. “We're comfortable with the 10 additional (firefighters) and the other six that we can stand up a new engine company around March of next year.”
