BOISE, Idaho — The Boise Fire Department is about to get a staffing boost, thanks to a $2.3 million grant through FEMA.
Three engine companies will benefit — Stations 5 (Downtown Boise), 6 (Boise Bench), and 14 (Southwest Boise).
The chosen companies were evaluated on seven categories, including call volume, response-time performance, water supply availability, and district risk which considers vulnerable populations, target hazards, critical infrastructure, and historical incident patterns.
Each company selected is normally staffed with only nine firefighters (three per every three shifts).
The grant allows for one additional firefighter per shift, meaning each company will be assigned four crew members on each shift.
“Four-person staffing gives our crews the capacity to do more work at the same time,” said Boise Fire Chief Aaron Hummel. “Whether firefighters are attacking a fire, searching for someone who needs to be rescued or providing advanced medical care to a patient, having that additional firefighter helps us get critical work underway sooner. This is essential in fulfilling our lifesaving mission and serving a growing Boise.”
Increased staffing will go into effect in May 2027, following the recruitment and training of the new firefighters.
Similar staffing levels are already in place at Stations 13 (Bogart Lane) in Northwest Boise and Station 15 (Warm Springs Avenue) in Southeast Boise.
Each year it's estimated the department responds to 500 fires and 600 cardiac arrests.
