By Chris Shadrock
The Boerne Fire Department has been awarded nearly $2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. This grant will be pivotal in expanding the department’s workforce as Boerne grows and prepares to open its second fire station.
The grant will allow the City to hire six additional full-time firefighters and move the department closer to meeting national staffing standards while enhancing 24-hour emergency coverage across its 200-square-mile service territory.
“This grant is a tremendous boost for our fire department,” Boerne Fire Chief Manny Casarez said. “The timing of everything was perfect. We are about a year and a half out from having our grand opening for Fire Station No. 2, and we’ve got three years’ worth of firefighters’ salaries covered. It’s a game changer when you think about the amount of staffing we have currently.”
The SAFER grant funding, totaling $1,958,373, will be phased in over a three-year period starting in March 2025.
“FEMA gives us 180 days to get the process going and start recruiting,” Casarez said. “From March next year through March 2028, we will have three years’ worth of funding, which is huge as we prepare to staff two fire stations.”
The additional staff will allow the Boerne Fire Department to improve its response times and better serve the community.
“We will be able to cut down on call times almost immediately once that station is built,” Lt. Toby Vicknair said.
Since joining the department in 2010 as a volunteer firefighter, Vicknair has seen firsthand the evolution of the fire profession and believes the additional staff and fire station will help the department respond to an increase in calls with an ever-changing complexity.
“We collaborate across so many different fields — streets, drainage, water, sewage, gas calls – all of that,” he said. “We can get everything ready so when we hit the ground running with station two, there’s no hitches.”
The SAFER program supports fire departments by providing critical funding to increase frontline staffing, ensuring communities meet industry standards and enhance fire protection. With Boerne’s rapid growth, the second fire station, expected to open by 2026, will further improve emergency response and increase coverage across the city.
The firefighters at the Boerne Fire Department are also excited about the grant.
“There was a lot of excitement when we found out our application made it through, and we were awarded what we asked for,” Casarez said. “It was a great feeling from everybody here.”
Boerne’s Fire Department isn’t alone in facing staffing challenges, as fire departments nationwide are working to meet increasing demands for service.
With the additional firefighters on board, Boerne is taking a significant step toward maintaining adequate fire protection as the city continues to grow and expand its emergency services for the future.
