The Muskegon Fire Department was awarded just over $708,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, through the Staffing and Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER Program. That funding will allow the department to hire three additional firefighters for the next three years, covering two-thirds of their salaries and benefits.
The SAFER program was established by Congress in 2003 to help fire departments increase the number of trained, frontline firefighters. When the grant ends, the city said it is committed to continuing the employment of the three firefighters to ensure long-term public safety.
In a statement, Muskegon’s Director of Public Safety Tim Kozal said the grant was “a tremendous benefit to the community. By adding three new firefighters to our team, we will improve response times, increase firefighter safety, and continue delivering the high level of service our residents expect and deserve.”
In August, Muskegon voters approved a public safety millage renewal that’s been in place since 2010 but voted against a millage increase that would have funded the hiring of three more firefighters and upgrades to two fire stations.
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