Lockport, NY Officials Agree to Accept SAFER Grant

The City of Lockport will be hiring four new firefighters for a two-year period.

During Wednesday's Common Council meeting, aldermen unanimously approved the Department of Homeland Security Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant Lockport was awarded. It will provide $848,368 to the city to cover the new positions for two years.

The funding is offered by DHS to increase or maintain staffing levels for fire departments.

Fire Chief Pat Brady said now that the grant has been accepted, Lockport has 180 days to use it. Because the next fire academy will not be held until February, the new firefighters will not likely be hired until mid-January.

The four previously laid-off firefighters will be interviewed first. Brady said if they do not wish to return, Lockport will go off of the civil service list to fill the four spots.

In March, the Common Council approved a resolution, by a vote of 5-1 after a lengthy debate, to apply for the grant.

Common Council President David Wohleben was the lone no vote at the time. He said Wednesday, he's "not going to turn down $850,000 in federal money."

"I have concerns that we're going to hire these individuals under the old contract, so there is going to be legacy costs associated," he said.

Wohleben also shares the same concern as Mayor Anne McCaffrey about what will happen two years from now. The city will likely have the choice to either lay off the four new firefighters or raise taxes about 4 percent.

Currently, the city's fire department is made up of 32 firefighters, plus Brady and Municipal Training Officer Luca Quagliano. With the grant, that number will increase to 36, with one new firefighter being placed on each of the four platoons.

Over the next two years, if one of the 32 firefighters retire, then one of the four would be moved down to fill that spot. The city would then need to hire a new person, because "if they accept the SAFER grant, we have to maintain 36 for the duration of the grant," McCaffrey has said.

Wohleben said it is his hope that at the end of the two years, if Brady can manage it properly, "we'll have four openings for those guys to slide into."

Resident Eloise Campfield spoke in favor of accepting the SAFER grant Wednesday. She did ask about the concern of two years down the road, questioning if the city could reapply and get SAFER funding again, or if there is a limit.

McCaffrey said the city can apply again, as “there is no limit to the amount to times you can apply for the SAFER grant. Although, I don't believe it is intended for communities to use it as operating funds on a year-to-year basis.”

"We don't know the status of what would happen in two years," she said. "There is possibly an option for us to request SAFER to continue that funding, but I don't know the likelihood of that happening."

Contact reporter Rikki Cason at 439-9222, ext. 6252.

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