The Modesto City Council on Tuesday turned down a $1.08 million grant that would have paid for a dozen firefighters to become paramedics after an emotional roller coaster of a discussion that lasted more than 2-1/2 hours.
Council members Kristi Ah You and Tony Madrigal cast the only “yes” votes to accept the Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, while the five other council members voted “no.”
“This is an incredible opportunity to invest in our Fire Department, in our guys,” Ah You said to the other council members before the council vote. And “we don’t have to pay for it. ... This is so easy people.” But the council majority followed the recommendation of City Manager Jim Holgersson and Fire Chief Sean Slamon not to accept the grant, over concerns of the grant’s timing and cost. Still, it was a difficult decision for the council, with more than 50 firefighters and their supporters in the audience. And more than a dozen speakers implored the council to take the grant, recounting stories of how firefighters trained as paramedics arrived just in time to help loved ones in distress.