NC fire department accepts SAFER grant, to hire 15

The Herald-Sun

DURHAM, N.C. — The heat is on for Durham fire officials to hire 15 qualified candidates to become the department's newest firefighters within the next 90 days, thanks to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant.

The Durham Fire Department recently received the green light from City Council to accept the $1.4 million grant, which will enable more fire trucks to be fully staffed once the new candidates are hired and trained.

"Being awarded the SAFER Grant brings huge opportunities to our department," said Fire Chief Bruce Pagan. "Once we hire and train these new firefighters, we will increase staffing from three firefighters to four firefighters per truck. This grant also allows us to further promote safety and increase compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) '2 in/2 out' federal law, which means there will be two firefighters outside of a structure ready to provide emergency support and in the event the two interior firefighters need to be quickly rescued."

According to Pagan, the SAFER Grant pays for the salary and benefits of the new firefighters for their first two years while the city picks up other costs, including uniforms, training, equipment and supplies. After two years, called the Period of Performance, the city will take on the full cost associated with staffing the new firefighting positions. The department hopes to hire the new candidates for Academy 25 by the end of September.

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