Omaha, Nebraska Council Accepts $3.9 Million FEMA Grant to Hire 18 Firefighters

Omaha will hire 18 more firefighters with the help of a federal grant, after the City Council voted on Tuesday to accept close to $3.9 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The grant award totaled $3,874,390.72, KFAB reported. The city will contribute $2,408,405.06, for a total program amount of close to $6.3 million. The money comes through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program, known as SAFER, which is issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through FEMA and is aimed at helping fire departments reach 24 hour staffing.

What the money covers

The grant and the city match will partially fund salaries and benefits for 18 new firefighter positions over three years, starting March 24, 2027. The city will pay the full salary and benefits for the firefighters starting March 24, 2030, KFAB reported.

The 18 grant funded positions are in addition to nine new firefighter positions the city has already budgeted for the department in 2027. The city received formal notification of the grant in September, and the council vote this week accepted it.

"Public safety means having staffing to meet the needs," Omaha Mayor John Ewing said, in remarks carried by Nebraska Public Media from the city's announcement. "I'm proud that the city can partner with the federal government to provide for these needed positions."

A new station is part of the plan

The new firefighters will be deployed where needed and will support the addition of Fire Station 70 in 2027, the city wrote in a press release on Wednesday. Fire Station 70 is planned to be built on North 180th Street, across from Elkhorn North High School, Nebraska Public Media reported.

This is not the department's first SAFER award. Omaha is currently using $6.8 million from a separate SAFER grant to support a different cohort of 18 firefighter positions until March 2028. The new round runs from March 2027 until March 2030, and after that the city carries the full cost.

For Omaha residents, the practical effect is a larger frontline staff as the city grows, with the federal government carrying part of the cost for the first three years and the city budget carrying all of it from 2030. The firefighters funded by this grant start in spring 2027, so the added crews arrive with the new station year, not this winter.