By DENAE D'ARCY
6 News Anchor/Reporter
SEVIERVILLE (WATE) - The Sevier County Volunteer Fire Department hopes county commissioners will vote Monday night to provide $57,000 in funding.
The firefighters recently received a large grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. With the extra money they hope to add four full-time firefighters to the squad.
The $1.2 million grant will add sleeping quarters to Station 2 and four firefighters would staff it at all times.. That will shorter fire response times.
Assistant Chief Michael Huskey applied for the federal for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.
To implement changes using FEMA money, the county commission would need to help with additional funding for the volunteer fire department. With four full-time staffers earning a stipend, the worker's compensation fund jumps by thousands of dollars.
"For a volunteer group there's no way we can afford that," Huskey explained. "That's the reason we asked the county to help cover the costs. This is a good deal for Sevier County citizens."
Some commissioners have asked whether awarding additional funds to one volunteer unit is fair to other fire departments. They also wonder once the grant funding is over in four years, how will the money be replaced.
"That's a good question," Huskey said. "The answer to that over the next four years, we're going to be able to get statistics to show if this does make a difference."
Sevier County Commissioner Phil King said he was still considering his decision on the vote for Monday night and was not ready to discuss it.
