The grant will expand four-person staffing at Boise fire stations and hire nine firefighters
BOISE- The Boise Fire Department has been awarded more than $2.3 million in FEMA funding through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The funding will allow the department to hire nine firefighters and expand four-person staffing to three additional fire stations for three years, after which the department will need to absorb the cost. Boise Fire has identified four-person staffing as a long-term service standard as the city’s footprint continues to grow.
“Behind every call for help is a Boise family, neighbor or business counting on first responders to be there,” said Mayor Lauren McLean. “As our community grows, we have a responsibility to make sure the people who protect and serve Boise have the resources they need to do their jobs well. This federal grant helps us make that investment, and I’m incredibly proud of our Boise Fire Department for pursuing this opportunity and bringing these additional funds and firefighters to our community.”
Four-person staffing gives crews more capacity to begin critical fire attack, rescue and medical operations as soon as they arrive. Increasing staffing on the first-arriving unit can also reduce the need to draw additional resources from neighboring response areas, helping keep other companies available for emergencies within their assigned districts.
Boise Fire currently has four-person staffing at Stations 13 in Northwest Boise on Bogart Lane and Station 15 on Warm Springs Avenue and the department expects to identify the three stations where additional firefighters will be placed by October 9.
“This grant is a significant step toward achieving four-person staffing across the Boise Fire Department,” said Boise Fire Chief Aaron Hummel. “Our goal is to deliver the highest level of service possible from the moment our first unit arrives on scene. This federal investment will allow us to add a fourth firefighter to three additional frontline companies, moving us closer to that goal while providing an immediate improvement in the service we deliver to our growing capital city.”
The nine firefighters will be selected from Boise Fire’s current applicant pool and will join the department’s next recruit academy in January 2027. Four-person staffing at the three additional stations is anticipated to begin in May 2027.
The three-year grant will cover approximately 62% of the total cost of adding the nine positions. The City of Boise will fund the remaining cost, which has already been included in the FY27 budget.
“Receiving the SAFER grant is a testament to the professionalism of our Boise Fire Department and I couldn’t be more proud,” said Boise City Council president Meredith Stead. “Our team works hard to find creative funding opportunities like this one, and it is exciting when that work pays off. More trained firefighters on the front lines means more capacity to respond when our neighbors need them most. That’s exactly the kind of investment Boise deserves.”