Stafford, Va. –– It’ll be a bit longer before Stafford County gets some new firefighters.
Stafford’s Board of Supervisors voted this week to rescind their approval given last month to accept $1 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to hire new 14 new career firefighters.
Supervisors last month knew about the strings attached to the grant, like a short deadline and being forced to take nothing less than 14 new firefighter positions as part of the grant stipulations, but Tuesday Board members had second thoughts.
As part of the four-year grant, Stafford County would gain 14 new firefighters to staff a new fire station near the intersection of Garrisonville and Shelton Shop roads in North Stasfford.
Federal money from the grant would be used pay the firefighter’s salaries during the first two years of the four-year grant.
County taxpayers would then pick up the tab during the final two years.
After they voted last month, some Supervisors contacted DHS and learned though they were told to act before February 16 in order to get the grant, and that they had to accept nothing less than 14 firefighters as part of the grant, that may have not been the case.
Stafford County Fire Chief Rob Brown Brown pitched the grant to county officials, initial details and deadlines in all.
On Tuesday, Supvervisors came to him for answers.
“I walked into this meeting convinced we had to take action that night, and that we had no flexibility about the number of firefighters that were part of the award,” said Supervisor Cord Sterling.
Officials worry about paying an additional 14 firefighters in tight budget times, especially as the county’s new budget proposes eliminating 25 positions in the county government.
Supervisors say they’ve now learned from DHS they can accept fewer than 14 firefighters, something they say they didn’t know last month.
Supervisors also learned they had more time to debate the issue and didn’t have to file so soon.
Brown defended himself, saying he was acting as instructed by DHS and out of the best of intentions.
“My job as fire chief is to try and do what I can to try and get this grant so you all can act on it. I did not want to do anything that would jeopardize your ability to act on the grant,” Brown told the Board.
Tuesday’s vote allows county officials to take additional time to review the grant in further detail so they can ultimately decide if the new firefighter positions will be pursued.
