Fire Departments Awarded $3 Million in SAFER Grants

July 27, 2010 -- The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded another round of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, this time totaling $3,010,741.

All six of the awards in this 13th round of SAFER grants will help bring IAFF members back to work.

“These federal SAFER grants are smart economic policy. They are helping to keep our communities safe and they are bringing thousands of fire fighters back to work,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger.

Fire departments awarded grants in this round include: Alton Fire Department (Local 1255) in Alton, Illinois; Bay City Fire Department (Local 116) in Bay City, Michigan; City of North Olmstead (Local 1267) in North Olmstead, Ohio; Marion Fire Department (Local 676) in Marion, Indiana; and Port Orange Department of Fire and Rescue (Local 3118) in Port Orange, Florida.

U.S. fire departments have now received approximately $165 million in SAFER grants in Fiscal Year 2009, putting more than 1,700 fire fighters back to work.

Administered by FEMA, $210 million is available in Fiscal Year 2009, and another $420 million has been appropriated for Fiscal Year 2010 under the new guidelines negotiated by the IAFF that allow SAFER funds to be used to rehire fire fighters laid off as a result of the economic crisis. The grants available in Fiscal Year 2010 will restore another 3,400 jobs.

For a full list of SAFER grant awards, click here.

For additional information or assistance, contact Jennifer Stewart at (202) 824-8631 or jstewart@iaff.org.