Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $1,340,168 in federal funding for the Binghamton Fire Department to hire firefighters. The money was allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program.
“These much-needed federal funds will provide the assistance the City of Binghamton needs to maintain and expand its fire department. First responders are our primary line of defense – they safeguard our residents and protect our property. It’s crucial that we provide our fire departments the support they need to hire an adequate number of staff so they can do their jobs to the best of their ability,” said Senator Schumer.
“This is an important investment for the Binghamton Fire Department,” Senator Gillibrand said. “When we’re able to maintain and create positions for firefighters, we can respond to more emergencies and save more lives. Helping our first responders maintain safe and efficient levels of staff will undoubtedly help keep our communities more safe.”
The Binghamton Fire Department will use this federal investment to hire eight firefighters so they can make sure that the two trucks that are sent to respond to emergencies will be staffed with four fighters as per the National Fire Protection Association standards.
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), established by FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security, was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase the number of trained, “front line” 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 NFPA and OSHA.