Grant assures no cuts or layoffs for Fla. fire department

Miami Herald

MIAMI, Fla. — For the past half year Miami-Dade County’s fire union and the mayor’s office have been slinging mud and insults at each other over a budget shortfall that threatened 59 jobs and three fire rescue trucks.

Monday, the arguing subsided when the county announced it had received an early Christmas gift: An $11.4 million federal grant that ensures there will be no fire department cuts or personnel losses for the next two years.

The grant is know as SAFER, for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response. It’s an award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help local governments keep staff when facing financial shortfalls.

Full story: Federal grant assures no cuts or layoffs for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue