Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09), co-chair of the House Fire Services Caucus, announced that the Garfield Fire Department has been awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for $88,000. It will be used to increase Garfield’s hiring and staffing capabilities.

“We wrote the SAFER Act for precisely this reason: to aid our cities and towns as they face continually challenging budget cuts. Awards like this allow our communities to retain and expand their fire services for years to come,” said Rep. Pascrell. “Ensuring our fire heroes have adequate staffing has a direct correlation to their response times. Every moment in a fire emergency can mean the difference between life or death, so the importance of this federal investment in Garfield cannot be overstated.”

“This money will be used to maintain public safety and help bolster the Garfield Fire Department’s staffing,” said Garfield Deputy Mayor Joe Delaney. “Public safety is a top priority, and I thank Congressman Pascrell for his tireless efforts in securing federal funds for our first responders.”

Pascrell has worked closely with DHS to bring needed grant money back to North Jersey. In 2013, Pascrell helped win a $193,500 FIRE Assistance to Firefighters Grant to the Garfield Fire Department that was used to help the department obtain 43 self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA) with extra bottles to provide extended operational time for Garfield firefighters.

Rep. Pascrell was a main author in the House of Representatives of the SAFER Act, which became law in 2003, and the FIRE (Firefighter Investment Response Enhancement) Act which makes grants to local fire departments. Combined, they have provided billions of dollars in funding for fire departments across the country for staffing, equipment, and training needs.

Background on AFG and SAFER Grant programs

Congress created these grant programs to help address the significant staffing, equipment, training, and health and safety needs of fire departments across the United States. The SAFER grant program provides funding to cover the costs associated with hiring personnel to maintain safe staffing levels. When Rep. Pascrell first introduced the FIRE Act in 1999, it was the first comprehensive legislation dedicated to meet the special needs of America's 32,000 volunteer, paid and part-paid fire departments.