Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced $409,000 in funding for the city of McAllen to hire new firefighters. The funding is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Fiscal Year 2018 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program which is designed to strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards and improve the nation’s preparedness.
A total of $350 million in competitive grants are made available through the SAFER Program to fire departments and statewide or local volunteer firefighter support groups. The objective of the SAFER Program is to award grants to fire departments to help increase the number of frontline fire fighters, create a more favorable working environment for firefighters, encourage current and future volunteers to continue their volunteerism, and enlist and retain the number of firefighters trained in responding to emergencies.
“Being a firefighter is one of the highest forms of public service and we are always in need of more people who want to help the city of McAllen,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “Firefighters are entrusted with the safety and lives of those in our community and my hope is that these funds will help with the recruitment and retention of qualified firefighters who will be responsible for showing up when lives on are on the line.”
“The McAllen Fire Department works day and night to keep our residents safe and are the first responders in times of need,” said McAllen Mayor Jim Darling “Our McAllen firefighters serve in one of the best-trained and best-equipped departments in Texas and I thank Congressman Gonzalez in helping to secure these funds so we can continue to invest in trained personnel and keep McAllen safe.”
“Firefighters play an integral role in the city of McAllen and are the kind of people who are willing to drop anything at a moment’s notice to help,” said McAllen Fire Chief Rafael Balderas. “We are dedicated to protect the lives and property of all the citizens of McAllen and look forward to hiring additional personnel to meet the needs of our community.”
Additional information on the application process for SAFER Grants is available here.
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