Decatur is set to add a dozen new firefighters to its ranks by February after the city council voted unanimously to move forward with accepting $2.1 million in federal grant funding. The money, awarded through the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program, will help the Decatur Fire Department hire 12 new firefighters as the city prepares to open a second fire station.
According to the Wise County Messenger, the council's vote authorizes city staff to begin the formal process of accepting the SAFER grant. The new hires are expected to start in February and help fully operate Fire Station No. 2, which is expected to open in early 2027, the paper reports.
The grant covers roughly $2.1 million of an estimated $3.4 million total cost for the 12 positions over three years, leaving Decatur responsible for about $1.3 million of that bill, per the same report. Despite that local share, the paper notes the city's total general fund impact for hiring all 12 full-time firefighters is projected at just $48,000 in the fiscal year 2027 budget.
Growth Pushed Decatur to Apply
City officials pointed to Decatur's expansion as a central reason behind the grant application. Decatur Fire Chief Deroy Bennett said current and projected growth, call volume, existing staffing levels and the construction of Station No. 2 all helped strengthen the city's case, according to a separate Wise County Messenger report on the award.
How much new housing is actually coming remains somewhat murky in the public record. The Messenger's Tuesday report put the figure at approximately 2,400 new housing units planned or moving forward in the city as of October 27, while the paper's earlier report on the award itself cited approximately 2,500 units planned or moving forward as of Oct. 7, with an average projected buildout of about five years. Either way, city leaders expect that growth to push call volume higher in the years ahead.
That growth is already straining a department built around a single firehouse. Decatur Fire Department currently operates one station and responds to an average of 2,000 calls per year, according to the city's own Fire Operations page, which also notes the department delivers emergency and non-emergency services around the clock, 365 days a year, using a mix of full-time and part-time firefighters.
Hiring Timeline and Insurance Implications
Bennett said the department already has a list of qualified candidates lined up and is confident it can hire and prepare all 12 firefighters in time for February, per the Messenger's Tuesday coverage. The additional staffing could also affect Decatur's public protection classification, commonly known as its ISO rating, which insurers factor in when setting property insurance premiums, the paper reports.
Decatur was one of 17 Texas fire departments awarded funding in the current FEMA SAFER funding cycle, the Messenger notes in its earlier report on the grant award. Decatur's situation echoes a similar move in Frisco, where the city council approved federal funding on Oct. 20 for 12 firefighter and paramedic positions over three years through the same SAFER program, according to Community Impact.
Frisco's council approved nearly $2.6 million through the program, funding Community Impact reports will help staff a fourth frontline fire truck expected to be delivered in fall 2027. As in Decatur's case, the grant covers eligible base salaries and standard benefits but excludes overtime, supplemental pay and certain operating expenses, per Community Impact's reporting.
