GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — United States Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) announced Thursday that the Grand Rapids Fire Department will receive nearly $3 million in federal funding to hire eight new firefighters.
The $2,862,128 comes from the Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.
“Our firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our families, homes and communities,” said Sen. Stabenow. “These new resources will help the Grand Rapids Fire Department make sure there is always someone there to answer the call in an emergency.”
“It’s important that our fire departments have the resources to maintain and hire personnel to continue serving their communities effectively,” added Sen. Peters. “I’m pleased to welcome this federal grant that will enable the Grand Rapids Fire Department to hire additional firefighters to support their operations.”
“This grant along with other FEMA assistance that we have been lucky enough to receive will strengthen our ability to respond to areas where we have demonstrated gaps,” said Grand Rapids Fire Chief John Lehman. “We are very thankful for these federal programs which reduce the stress on our city’s budget.”
For more information about the SAFER grant, click here.
