Haleyville council backs FEMA firefighter grant bids before June 22 deadline

The Haleyville City Council voted June 15, 2026, to authorize two FEMA fire-grant applications for the Haleyville Fire Department, moving before a federal application deadline that closes June 22, 2026.

The action does not mean Haleyville has received grant money. It gives city officials authority to apply for federal assistance tied to firefighter equipment and staffing. For residents, the decision is worth watching because the applications could improve fire-service capacity if approved, while also bringing local matching costs and possible future payroll decisions.

Turnout gear request carries a local match

One resolution authorizes an application under FEMA’s FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program for 20 complete sets of turnout gear. The resolution published with the Haleyville Broadcasting report lists an estimated total project cost of $104,000.

If the grant is awarded, the city would provide an approximately $4,952.38 local match, contingent on the award and the availability of funds. That distinction matters: the council approved the application and the conditional match language, not a final purchase funded by an awarded grant.

Turnout gear is the protective clothing firefighters use during fire and emergency response. The local resolution says the department needs replacement turnout gear to support firefighter safety and effectiveness. FEMA’s AFG notice describes the program as financial assistance for eligible fire departments and related agencies, with goals that include improving firefighter and public safety in relation to fire and fire-related hazards.

SAFER grant could raise future budget questions

The second resolution authorizes a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant application connected to hiring firefighters. The Haleyville resolution says the grant would help fund paid firefighter positions for a 36-month period and allow a recruitment period after award notification.

The budget caveat is significant. The resolution says the city would be responsible for the required local cost share: 25% of eligible costs in years one and two, and 66% in year three. It also says any positions funded through the grant would become Haleyville’s financial responsibility when the grant period ends unless additional grant funding is secured.

That does not make the staffing expansion permanent today. It does mean that, if FEMA approves the application and the city accepts an award, future councils may have to decide whether to keep paying for any grant-funded positions, seek other funding, or change staffing plans after the grant term.

What residents should watch next

FEMA’s May 19 bulletin set the FY 2025 application period for AFG, SAFER and Fire Prevention and Safety grants from May 19 through June 22, 2026, with late submissions not accepted. The bulletin also says the three programs are separate funding opportunities and require separate applications.

For Haleyville taxpayers and residents, the next key question is not only whether FEMA selects either application. It is also what final grant terms require and how local leaders handle matching funds or staffing costs in future budgets.

If the turnout-gear application succeeds, the most immediate local effect would be updated protective equipment for firefighters with a relatively small city match compared with the listed project cost. If the SAFER application succeeds, the public-safety benefit could be more staffing support, but with a longer-term budget issue that would come back to City Hall after the federal grant period.

The City of Haleyville’s council page says the council meets at City Hall on the first and third Monday of each month. That makes future meeting agendas, minutes and budget discussions the place to watch for grant-award decisions and any follow-up spending tied to the fire department applications.

Sources

• Haleyville Broadcasting report on June 15, 2026 City Council meeting
• FEMA fire grants bulletin for FY 2025 application period
• FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity
• City of Haleyville City Council meetings and minutes page