Chelan Fire and Rescue must lower its staffing next year after a FEMA grant that helped boost hires runs out at the end of 2018.
From its current arrangement of four full-time personnel on duty 24 hours a day, Chelan Fire District 7 will revert to just two staff on duty, Chief Tim Lemon said Thursday. The change is tied to expiration of a Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response grant, or SAFER grant, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The grant, awarded in 2016, amounted to $895,000 to fund six full-time positions for two years. Lemon said it’s offered real advantages to his department over the last two years. “Having stronger team rolling out of here initially, a number of different fires were put out or kept small and manageable, and never destroyed or significantly damaged a structure,” he said.