Sens. Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $1.5 Million for Baltimore County Fire Department to Hire 16 Firefighters

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The office of Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., issued the following news release:

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced that the Baltimore County Fire Department has been awarded $1,519,368 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to hire 16 full time firefighters. The grant will ensure adequate staffing levels to respond to fire and emergency medical service calls throughout the County.

"Every day, firefighters in Baltimore County and across our state put their lives on the line to protect our communities," said Senator Van Hollen. "This grant will ensure Baltimore County's fire departments have appropriate staffing levels to respond to the call for help, whether it's an accident on I-695, a house fire in Dundalk, or a medical emergency like a heart attack.

This investment will help these brave men and women keep our families, homes, and communities safe."

"This grant is a federal investment in Baltimore County firefighters and residents alike," said Senator Cardin. "We trust our first responders to protect our homes and our families. In turn, we have a responsibility to ensure they have all the resources - and people - necessary to keep themselves and others safe. This grant helps us live up to that responsibility and keep our fire departments well-staffed."

Funding is available through FEMA's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) program. The SAFER grant program enhances the ability of fire departments around the country to attain and maintain 24-hour staffing by providing grants directly to fire departments. Specifically, the grants help fire departments increase the number of frontline firefighters and help rehire firefighters who lost their jobs during the economic downturn. The SAFER program provides approximately $345 million in competitive grants to fire departments and statewide or local volunteer firefighter support groups.