Federal funds to boost local firefighter hires

WASHINGTON (WDTN) - A federal grant will provide nearly a half-millon dollars to hire firefighters in Greene County.

The Fairborn Fire Department will receiver $493,359 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) SAFER grant program.

“Firefighters put their lives on the line each day to keep our communities safe. These new federal resources will help ensure that Fairborn has the skilled responders needed,” U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said in announcing the grant. “With so many communities already facing budget shortfalls, critical federal efforts like SAFER are pivotal in keeping our Ohio cities, towns, and villages safe.”

The SAFER grant program supports the hiring of firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.