Parma - Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, City of Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter and Parma Fire Chief Mike Lasky have announced that the Parma Fire Department will be awarded $1,051,073.80.
The funding was awarded through a competitive grant application through the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. The Parma Fire Department will use the funding to hire eight new firefighters.
“It is my privilege to announce the Parma Fire Department has been awarded more than a million dollars to invest in the hiring of eight new fire fighters,” said Rep. Kaptur. “Whether it is a fire, a flood or a car accident, we depend on first responders such as those at the Parma Fire Department to keep us safe. I am pleased to have worked with Parma Fire to ensure the City received the financial support it needed to hire professional first responders.
“We need a fully staffed fire department to keep pace with the safety demands of a city our size,” said Mayor Tim DeGeeter. “This grant provides us with critical funding to help us replace eight firefighters who retired or transferred to other departments. This will reduce overtime and allow us to continue to provide the quality service our residents have come to expect and deserve. I want to thank Congresswoman Kaptur for her efforts, and I appreciate the additional Congressional support we received from those representing Parma.”
“The Parma Fire Department is extremely pleased, not only for the operational impact this funding will have on our department, but the overall impact it will have on the entire City of Parma,” said Fire Chief Michael Lasky. “Our goal is to provide outstanding safety services to our community, and SAFER funding will allow us to do that effectively and efficiently for the foreseeable future.”
The SAFER grant program was established by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help increase the number of trained firefighters available in their communities. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments' abilities to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
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