The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners announced that the Bulloch County Fire Department has been awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grant, totaling $385,716, will be awarded over a 4-year period and will aid in volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention. The board says the grant will be used to fund several categories including head-to-toe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for new recruits, leadership/career training, various new member costs like physicals and textbooks, and a marketing program for recruitment.
“We appreciate Monroe Consulting and Mrs. Pat Lanier Jones for their assistance in writing this grant,” says Tom Couch, County Manager. “And while we are disappointed we did not receive hiring funding, the resources from this award will be invaluable in building and supporting our much-needed volunteer firefighters.”
“Thank you to the County Manager and the Board of Commissioners for their support in applying for this grant, says Fire Chief Ben Tapley. “Their planned vision is to increase emergency services to all the citizens of Bulloch County. This grant allows us to add more volunteer firefighters over the next four years, while we add more career staff, to ensure the Bulloch County Fire Department can meet the growing needs of our citizens and our community.”
According to FEMA, the SAFER grants were created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain 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 National Fire Protection Association,NFPA (NFPA 1710 and/or NFPA 1720)
Learn more about the SAFER grant at www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters/safer.
