Newark - Today, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ)and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced that the Camden and Passaic Fire Departments have received more than $7 million in federal funding to hire new firefighters through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.
The City of Camden received $5,737,746 to hire new firefighters, and the City of Passaic Fire Department received $1,530,304.
"These federal grants are incredibly important for Camden and Passaic and I am extremely happy they will be able to bring trained firefighters back on the job protecting local residents," said Senator Menendez, who has led the fight in the Senate to increase funding for local first responders. "Keeping our families safe must be our top priority - especially in tough economic times -- and that's why we have worked so hard to ensure our local communities have the resources needed to get the job done."
"As local governments across New Jersey face tight budgets, this federal grant will help the cities of Camden andPassaic add firefighters to keep our families safe,"said Senator Lautenberg, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds the SAFER program."Public safety is a top priority and we will keep fighting to help ensure New Jersey's local fire departments are prepared, equipped and staffed to protect our communities."
As Vice Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Lautenberg has worked to provide sufficient funding for the SAFER program. The SAFER grant program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained "front line" firefighters in their communities.
Last week, Senators Lautenberg and Menendezannounced more than $590,000for the Gloucester City Fire Department to add firefighters.
For more information about the program, visit:http://www.fema.gov/firegrants/safer/.
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