Ventura Fire Department Receives $4.07 Million Grant

Ventura's fire department is set to grow. The Ventura Fire Department has received a $4.07 million federal grant to hire 11 additional firefighter-paramedics, a move city officials say will strengthen staffing levels and emergency response capabilities across the city.

The Ventura City Council formally accepted the award at its October 6, 2026 meeting, as the Ventura Breeze reported. The three-year grant runs from March 2027 through March 2030 and comes amid a broader push by the city to shore up emergency preparedness — including the recent groundbreaking on an interim Fire Station 7 and a new fire chief selected earlier this year.

What the Grant Funds

The award comes through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The SAFER program is designed to help fire departments increase staffing, meet industry minimum standards, and maintain around-the-clock coverage to protect communities from fires and related hazards.

The federal money will cover salaries and benefits for the new firefighter-paramedic positions, with the grant period officially beginning March 24, 2027. The total cost of the 11 positions over three years is $6.6 million — $4.07 million in federal funding paired with $2.53 million in city matching funds, according to the Ventura Breeze. That means Ventura taxpayers will pick up roughly 38 percent of the tab, with federal dollars covering the remainder.

The department expects to begin filling the positions once the grant period starts in spring 2027. When the hires are complete, the department's authorized staffing will rise to 92 full-time employees and support 24-hour staffing for the 11 personnel assigned to the department's paramedic squads.

Why It Matters for Response Times

For residents, the practical impact of the added positions comes down to coverage. Fire departments across California have struggled with the reality of simultaneous emergencies — when multiple 911 calls come in at once, or when crews are tied up at a major incident, remaining stations must stretch to cover the rest of the city. Additional personnel help the department respond to those overlapping calls and maintain coverage when crews are committed elsewhere, the Ventura Breeze reported.

The new hires will also bolster the region's mutual-support network. The additional staffing will provide support throughout Ventura County through the department's existing automatic aid agreements — arrangements that allow nearby agencies to automatically dispatch resources to one another's emergencies without a formal request.

Firefighter-paramedics are an especially valuable asset because they can deliver advanced life support on medical calls, not just fire suppression. Emergency medical responses make up a substantial share of call volume for fire departments throughout the 805 region, making paramedic-equipped squads a critical piece of the local safety net.

City Leaders Call It a "Tremendous Investment"

"This is a tremendous investment in the safety and well-being of our community," Ventura Fire Chief Kris McDonald said in a statement reported by the Ventura Breeze. "Adding 11 firefighter-paramedics strengthens our ability to maintain staffing around the clock and gives our crews greater capacity to respond when demand is at its highest. We are grateful to FEMA for this investment in Ventura's public safety."

McDonald was selected as the city's new fire chief in February 2026, according to the Ventura Breeze, making this grant one of the early milestones of her tenure leading the department.

A Pattern of Federal Investment in Ventura

The new award is not Ventura's first rodeo with the SAFER program. In 2023, the city received a fiscal year 2021 SAFER grant that funded 13 firefighter-paramedic positions through February 2027. During the fiscal year 2027 budget process, two of those positions were permanently folded into the city's General Fund operating budget — a signal, budget watchers note, of how grant-funded positions can transition into long-term city commitments.

The timing also matters for continuity: the earlier grant's positions run out in February 2027, and the new grant period begins in March 2027, meaning the department can move from one staffing infusion to the next without a gap in grant support. The new hires announced this month are separate and additional positions, bringing authorized staffing to the 92-employee level.

The grant also lands during an active period for the department. In October 2026, the city broke ground on an interim Fire Station 7, and earlier this year the department invited public input on its wildfire plan — a reminder that wildfire preparedness remains a priority for a city that lived through the Thomas Fire in 2017, one of the most destructive fires in California history at the time.

What Comes Next

Ventura residents can expect to see hiring activity ramp up as the March 24, 2027 grant start date approaches. Firefighter-paramedic hiring typically involves a competitive testing and certification process, so recruitment timelines can stretch over several months. The city's $2.53 million matching commitment will be built into its budgets over the three-year grant window.

For residents interested in learning more about the department, its staffing, and its programs, the city directs the public to www.cityofventura.ca.gov/Fire.

The bottom line for Ventura: 11 more firefighter-paramedics on the roster, stronger 24-hour coverage at the city's paramedic squads, and a continued federal-local partnership funding the front line of emergency response — with the new positions funded through March 2030.

This article is based on reporting by the [Ventura Breeze](https://venturabreeze.com/ventura-fire-department-receives-4-07-million-grant/).