Wis. fire department receives $325K grant, adds 2 new firefighters

The new positions covered by the SAFER grant fill the gap from rising overtime costs and budget constraints that forced the department to let two firefighters go in about 2008

Journal Times

CALEDONIA, Wis. — Caledonia’s Fire Department is adding two new firefighters this year, thanks to a $325,000-plus federal grant the village accepted this week.

Facing budget constraints and staff shortages like many local fire departments, Caledonia Fire Chief Richard Roeder applied for a federal grant in August 2012 to help pick up the stations’ slack. The move paid off, netting the village $325,540.

If that figure sounds precise, it’s because it is; Roeder said he calculated the exact amount needed to pay wages and benefits for two new firefighters for two years. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant is distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and is designed to keep community fire departments fully staffed and up to federal standards.

Full story: Caledonia nets grant for two new firefighters