Fire Department Seeks Federal Grant to Restore Staffing Levels

The Hanover Fire Department is pursuing federal funding to restore staffing levels that were reduced following a failed override vote last year. The department plans to apply for a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant from FEMA to fund two firefighter positions.

"This is an opportunity to maybe take advantage of some federal funding to get us over this challenging time," Hanover Fire Chief Jason Cavallaro told the Select Board at their January 6 meeting.

Unlike previous SAFER grants that required local matching funds, the current program would cover 100% of salary and benefits costs for three years. "FEMA now pays for 100% of the costs... So it's a lot more appetizing than it was even in 2017 when we applied for it and when we were successful," Cavallaro explained.

The grant would help restore the department to 29 career firefighters, its staffing level before recent reductions. The funding would cover approximately half of fiscal year 2026, all of fiscal years 2027 and 2028, and half of fiscal year 2029, with the town assuming full costs in fiscal year 2030.

One requirement of accepting the grant would be maintaining the increased staffing levels throughout the grant period. "If somebody was to retire, we would have to fill them. If somebody was to transfer to another department, we would have to fill that position," Cavallaro noted.

The fire department expects to submit the grant application in February or March, with award notifications typically coming in July or August. The town would then have 180 days to recruit and hire the firefighters if awarded the grant.

The initiative comes as the department recently lost another firefighter to a neighboring community, highlighting ongoing staffing challenges facing the department.