Bettendorf City Council Accepts FEMA Grant to Hire Six New Firefighters in Six Months

The City of Bettendorf is growing and so is its commitment to keep citizens and properties safe as the Bettendorf Fire Department prepares to hire six firefighters in the next six months.

On October 3rd, 2023, Bettendorf City Council voted to accept a SAFER Grant – or the “Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response” Grant – from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) totaling $2,053,398.

“This award guarantees full staffing of an engine company at our Surrey Heights Fire Station 24/7 on all three shifts, which meets a top goal in the Mayor and City Council’s 2022-23 Strategic Plan,” said Troy Said, Fire Chief. “Most importantly, it provides better overall service to our citizens in that area and throughout the entire city.”

According to FEMA, the SAFER Grants were “created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities” (https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters/safer). Since Fiscal Year 2005, FEMA has awarded approximately $5.1 billion in SAFER Grants.

With the acceptance of the SAFER Grant, Bettendorf Fire will hire six firefighters in six months. The grant provides 100% of the funding for their base salary and benefits for three years.

“As our City continues to grow, so does the demand for services,” said Said. “I appreciate our City Administration and the continued support of our Council Members recognizing the need for increased staffing in public safety. These additional six firefighters will not only enhance our services in the northern part of our City, but they will also help provide future structure to our entire fire department’s organization.”