New Braunfels will add firefighters at three of its busiest stations, thanks to a recent grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Liz Teitz
New Braunfels to add 19 firefighters, thanks to federal grant
Published: Thu, 11/30/23
New Braunfels to add 19 firefighters, thanks to federal grant
The new hires will increase staffing at three stations in busy areas and allow the department to meet safety standards, city officials say.
New Braunfels will add firefighters at three of its busiest stations, thanks to a recent grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Liz Teitz
San Antonio Express-News
By Liz Teitz, Staff writer
Updated
New Braunfels will hire 19 more firefighters over the next three years, thanks to a $3.4 million federal grant.
The money will help the fire department meet safety standards, Chief Ruy Lozano told the New Braunfels City Council during its Monday night meeting. The funding is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, through its Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.
The New Braunfels Fire Department currently staffs its trucks with three firefighters each. But under standards from the National Fire Protection Association, trucks should be staffed with a minimum of four firefighters, Lozano said. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also has a “two-in, two-out” rule for interior structure fires — meaning that for two firefighters to enter a structure, two more need to be outside as a rapid intervention team.
With only three people on each truck, firefighters have to wait for a second engine to arrive or use Emergency Medical Services staff to meet that minimum, Lozano said.
New Braunfels Fire Department will use the grant money to add a fourth firefighter on trucks at Station 1 in downtown New Braunfels, at Station 3, near Loop 337 and the Gruene Historic District, and at Station 7, which is under construction on FM Road 306, near Interstate 35. Those roles will be staffed on all shifts.
The federal funding will support 12 firefighters, Lozano told the San Antonio Express-News, while another seven will be covered through savings on overtime pay. The grant will provide just over $1 million per year from 2024 through 2026.
The city currently has 135 firefighters, including fire captains and fire engineers.
Additional staffing also will help the department better respond to lower-priority calls and ensure resources are available for major incidents, Lozano said.
When a less acute call comes in, such as a trash bin fire or brush fire, two firefighters will be able to respond in one of the department’s multipurpose squad units, such as its brush truck or high-water vehicle. Those have the same amount of water capacity, but are smaller than the traditional heavy trucks, Lozano said. They also have a lower per-mile cost — about 80 cents, instead of $3 to $4 — making them more efficient for smaller incidents.
The other two firefighters on that crew can remain at the station in case a major incident arises, Lozano said. That’s not currently an option with three-person crews, but staffing up to four-person crews will make it possible, he said.
By 2027, after the grant funding runs out, the city’s growth in tax revenue is projected to cover the cost of the additional firefighters, Lozano said, so the grant will provide a pathway to that point.
New Braunfels has seen its population grow rapidly in recent years, jumping from about 57,000 in 2010 to about 105,000 today, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded $360 million in SAFER grants, according to the agency. Other recent recipients in Texas include Rockwall, Denton and Arlington.