Northside Fire awarded SAFER grant

PONDERAY — Things will be a little SAFER in the Northside Fire District thanks to a $697,404 grant to increase staffing in the district.

Northside Fire officials announced this week that the Ponderay-based fire has been awarded the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant, aimed at increasing the safety of firefighters and the public during calls for service. The district's board of commissioners voted unanimously to accept the grant at its Aug. 21 meeting.

The grant funding will allow Northside Fire to hire three additional firefighters, adding one per shift, for three years at no additional cost to the district, Connor Robinson, Northside public information officer, said.

"The Northside Fire District is excited to have been graciously awarded the SAFER Grant which will allow us to elevate the level of service we provide to the community," Robinson said.

National Fire Protection Association guidelines set the staffing of an engine company at four firefighters. The grant will help the Northside Fire District get close to that target, Robinson said.

"Increasing staffing to three firefighters a day greatly increases the safety of the responding firefighters and the public," he added.

The SAFER Grant was created to provide funding directly to fire departments to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire department’s abilities to comply with standards set by the National Fire Protection Association for staffing, response, and operations.

The district was only one of two in the state to receive a SAFER grant with Timberlake Fire receiving a $405,760 grant for the retention and recruitment of firefighters.