DENNIS – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded the Dennis Fire Department a three year, $1.3 million grant that will go to hire eight new firefighters.
The money is expected to reduce the fire department’s overtime costs by $135,000.
Selectmen unanimously voted to accept the grant, but understood that more funding will be needed for the plan to continue.
“Eight firefighters would give us the ability to put a minimum of 10 on shift at all times,” said Dennis Fire Chief Mark Dellner.
“Twelve man shifts, 10 man minimum. We’re currently at now, 10 man shifts, 8 man minimum,” he said.
The grant will pay a large share of the costs for the new firefighters.
The town’s portion of the grant will go before voters at Special Town Meeting on October 17.
“We would want to make sure that we have enough put aside so that we don’t get a spike in the overall tax rate over the next few years,” said Dellner.
“We want to make sure that in year four, when the grant runs out, that we have a plan in place for the next three years to address taking up the final cost.”
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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