FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2014
The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) has received notification that we have been awarded $4.1 million from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The grant application was a joint project between the ACFD and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 55 - Alameda County. The grant will provide funding for 12 firefighter positions for two years.
The SAFER grant is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The FEMA SAFER program seeks to increase the number of frontline firefighters, enhancing the ability of grantees to attain and maintain 24-hour staffing and assuring that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
The ACFD is working with FEMA Grant Programs Directorate on acceptance, then will likely hire and train the new firefighters this spring. In accordance with the grant’s requirements, the new firefighters would replace firefighters who have recently retired or who have officially notified the Department they will be retiring later this year.
"The grant allows the ACFD to hire new firefighters, but does not add new firefighter positions or expand our current deployment model," said Interim Fire Chief Dave Rocha. "This is a significant step toward maintaining our current staffing levels in the unincorporated service areas of the Department into Fiscal Year 2014/15 and Fiscal Year 2015/16."
