NJ city needs balanced budget to pick up SAFER grant

By Claudia Vargas
The Philadelphia Inquirer

CAMDEN, N.J. — One day after Camden's proposed budget was rejected by City Council, officials turned their attention to a $5.1 million federal grant aimed at helping cities that have budget-ravaged fire departments.

Camden has been awarded the money, but getting it into the treasury won't be as easy as picking up the check.

The first problem is that the city cannot use the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant until it has a balanced budget. Council rejected the latest spending plan by a 6-1 vote Tuesday night because it contained a double-digit property tax increase.

In addition, city officials have to rework the application so that laid-off firefighters can be rehired; the original document only refers to new hires.

"We are currently having discussions with [federal officials] to ensure we follow the appropriate steps and procedures to be able to receive and execute the SAFER grant," city spokesman Robert Corrales said Wednesday.

Corrales could not say how many firefighting jobs $5.1 million might mean because one of the conditions of the grant is that the people hired with the money must remain on the force until at least the end of fiscal 2012.

The city laid off 60 firefighters in January; the force is down to about 160, Corrales said. Although all six fire stations are open, the number of companies has been reduced from 11 to seven.

The Department of Homeland Security also announced that Atlantic City would receive $9.7 million for its depleted fire department.

To qualify for the grant, a city had to prove fiscal distress and demonstrate it had a competent, quality department, said U.S. Rep. Robert Andrews (D., N.J.).

At just under $30 million, New Jersey has been awarded the most money, through five SAFER grants, since the program's start in 2005. Trenton also recently received $13.7 million.

Andrews said he would also speak with the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and other programs to see if Camden could qualify for a grant to help bring back more police officers.

"Our efforts are continuing," he said.

In the meantime, Rowan University announced Wednesday that it would hire from 15 to 20 police officers to patrol the campuses of Cooper University Hospital and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. The city laid off 163 officers Jan. 18.

Rowan will give special consideration to those Camden police officers who were laid off in January. The exact number and money that will be spent is being worked out, said Rowan spokesman Joe Cardona.

The officers could start working as early as the spring. The medical school is expected to open in fall of 2012.

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