NJ fire department to receive $2.4M grant to save 12 firefighter jobs

NJToday

WASHINGTON — Four months after the Linden Fire Department faced layoffs of its firefighters due to budgetary constraints, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) came to the department’s headquarters Friday to announce a federal grant award of $2,406,684 to save 12 jobs in the department. The funding is awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs.

“Keeping firefighters on the job is critical to protecting the Linden community, and I am very pleased that this federal funding is coming directly to the Linden Fire Department during a difficult budgetary year,” said  Menendez. “This not only helps the communities they serve, but it also helps maintain safer working conditions for our firefighters, who deserve nothing less than our best efforts to help them work as safely and effectively as possible.”

“I’m extremely excited about this SAFER grant that will help us keep 12 firefighters. It couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Linden Mayor Richard Gerbounka. “Quite frankly, it’s a Godsend. I want to thank Senator Menendez for his aggressiveness in getting this grant for the City of Linden.”

Full story: Linden To Receive $2.4 Million Grant To Save 12 Firefighter Jobs