© Emily Leayman/Patch Alexandria will seek a grant to boost relief staffing at the Alexandria Fire Department as staffing challenges contribute to reliance on overtime.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — As staffing challenges impact the fire department, the City of Alexandria is seeking a grant to bolster relief staffing and reduce overtime for firefighters.
FEMA’s SAFER grant program provides financial assistance to help communities meet minimum standards and obtain 24-hour staffing for adequate fire protection. The grant Alexandria is seeking would be $6 million over three years. City Council takes a formal vote Tuesday to direct the city manager to apply for the grant.
According to a memo to City Council, the Alexandria Fire Department would use the grant to hire 20 firefighters for relief staffing. A 2019 Office of Performance Analytics report found Alexandria needed another 26 positions to meet staffing relief level requirements. Six of the 26 positions were added in the city’s fiscal year 2021 budget.
The memo stated that the 20 additional positions would reduce the need for overtime. On a daily basis, the city estimates it would reduce overtime by about six positions. Once employees are fully trained and working, the city could save an estimated $1.3 million in overtime per year.
“It should be noted that with fewer than the optimal number of relief positions, AFD would use overtime to meet its minimum staffing requirement on each shift,” reads the memo to City Council. “While overtime can solve an immediate staffing problem, its use if frequent places can undue work and family life burden on AFD employees.”
If the grant is approved for the city, the grant would pay the full salary and benefits for the positions for the first two years and reduce the federal share to 35 percent in the third year. In the fourth year, the city would have to fully fund the positions.
In 2017 and 2018, the city had used SAFER grant funding to reach a four-person staffing level on engines and ladder trucks. However, the city noted four-person staffing is one factor contributing to excess reliance on overtime.
Alexandria firefighters have raised concerns about underfunding and staffing challenges impacting some emergency services. IAFF Local 2141, which represents 250 firefighters, medics, EMTs and fire marshals, has called on city officials to improve pay competitiveness for recruitment and retention purposes.
A 1.5 percent pay increase and one-time $3,000 bonus for city government employees was approved by City Council in October 2021. There were also grade increases and bonuses for specific kinds of public safety positions.
At the time, City Manager Mark Jinks asked for compensation to be a priority in the next budget cycle. Jinks has now retired, and new City Manager James Parajon has assumed the position. The city manager’s budget proposal is expected on Feb. 15.