The Baltimore City Fire Department received a $6 million grant from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, the department announced Aug. 29.
The grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The money will be dispersed over three years and is meant to help pay personnel costs to retain 40 full-time fire suppression positions.
“When we applied for this grant last year, we knew we were entering the realm of a vastly competitive grant process,” said Baltimore City Fire Chief Niles R. Ford. “I am extremely thankful that collectively, we were able to secure this funding to assist with the daily demands on our department.”
This is the second time Baltimore has been awarded a SAFER grant, the first occurring in 2016. That $5.6 million allotment also helped the department comply with minimum staffing, response and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association.
