Clallam County Fire District No. 3’s call volume has consistently increased by 6 percent every year for the past two decades, Assistant Chief Dan Orr said.
A recent service delivery study described the increase as “the single most significant challenge we face.”
However, a federal grant could offer a “proactive” solution to the call volume by allowing the district to hire up to six more firefighters, Orr said.
On Tuesday, Fire Commissioners James D. Barnfather, G. Michael Gawley and Steven K. Chinn found out the district was awarded a $1 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.
The $1,006,881 grant would cover about 75 percent of new firefighters’ wages and benefits for two years and 35 percent in the third and final year, according to a news release.