Edited release
09/27/22
A recently announced FEMA grant will allow the City of North Liberty to hire full-time firefighters.
In a release from the City, Fire Chief Brian Platz says the three-year, $1 million grant will help the city deal with its continued growth and the corresponding increase in emergency calls.
The total award will fund the next phase of the Fire Department’s staffing plan, which calls for the hiring of three full-time shift firefighters. Each new position will work a 24-hour schedule, allowing the city to always have one full-time shift firefighter on duty. These positions will supervise the two part-time firefighter positions that staff the fire station overnight, creating a crew of three personnel each night.
The new FEMA award comes on the heels of a FEMA recruitment and retention grant that the department received in 2019. That grant was for over $350,000 and to be used specifically to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The grant was spread out over a four year period.