07/Mar/2008
Fire Department Receives SAFER Grant for More Than $1 Million
By Captain Derek Glover
Central Fire Department
The Central Fire Department was awarded a SAFER Grant (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) in the amount of $1,352,675 to hire six firefighter/operators.
The goal of the SAFER Grant is to help fire departments increase the number of frontline, active firefighters. The goal is to ultimately assure the department has adequate personnel to respond to and safely perform at an incident scene, thus providing the community protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
This activity provides five-year grants to assist fire departments in paying a portion of the salaries of newly hired firefighters. These newly hired positions must be in addition to currently authorized and/or funded active firefighter positions. The Central Fire Department is required to match an increasing proportion of the salary awarded over a four-year period. In the fifth year of the grant, the department must absorb the entire cost of any positions awarded as a result of the grant.
The timing of this grant could not have come at a better time with all the growth in Central from Hurricane Katrina, our new city and our new school district. The Central Fire District operates primarily from property taxes, which are not received usually until two years after the growth has occurred. This grant will allow us to hire the needed staff now and be able to absorb the salaries over the next four years.
The Central Fire Department currently has 22 full time employees and 16 contract employees, with some of the best salaries and benefits in the state. If you are interested in being part of the fastest growing and most progressive fire department around, stop by the Sullivan Road station or give us a call at 261-2000. The newly hired firefighter/operators will begin training in March.
Website:Central Fire Department
Email: info@centralfd.org
By Captain Derek Glover
Central Fire Department
The Central Fire Department was awarded a SAFER Grant (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) in the amount of $1,352,675 to hire six firefighter/operators.
The goal of the SAFER Grant is to help fire departments increase the number of frontline, active firefighters. The goal is to ultimately assure the department has adequate personnel to respond to and safely perform at an incident scene, thus providing the community protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
This activity provides five-year grants to assist fire departments in paying a portion of the salaries of newly hired firefighters. These newly hired positions must be in addition to currently authorized and/or funded active firefighter positions. The Central Fire Department is required to match an increasing proportion of the salary awarded over a four-year period. In the fifth year of the grant, the department must absorb the entire cost of any positions awarded as a result of the grant.
The timing of this grant could not have come at a better time with all the growth in Central from Hurricane Katrina, our new city and our new school district. The Central Fire District operates primarily from property taxes, which are not received usually until two years after the growth has occurred. This grant will allow us to hire the needed staff now and be able to absorb the salaries over the next four years.
The Central Fire Department currently has 22 full time employees and 16 contract employees, with some of the best salaries and benefits in the state. If you are interested in being part of the fastest growing and most progressive fire department around, stop by the Sullivan Road station or give us a call at 261-2000. The newly hired firefighter/operators will begin training in March.
Website:Central Fire Department
Email: info@centralfd.org
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