SHAHEEN ANNOUNCES $642,028 GRANT FOR LACONIA FIRE DEPARTMENT TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN FIREFIGHTERS

(Washington, D.C.) – The Laconia Fire Department has received a grant worth $642,028 through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program to recruit and train firefighters, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced today. Shaheen sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in August in support of Laconia’s application for funding.

“Over the past eight years, the Laconia Fire Department has responded to an increasing number of emergencies while their staffing has decreased,” Shaheen said. “This shortfall resulted in lengthened response times during multiple simultaneous emergencies. Grant funding from the SAFER program will enable the department to hire four additional firefighters, helping the city’s first responders operate more safely and efficiently during emergencies.”

The goal of the SAFER grant program is to enhance the ability of grantees to attain and maintain 24-hour staffing and to assure that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.  Funding through the SAFER program can be used to hire firefighters or to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.

The SAFER grants are administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to the applicants that most closely address the program's priorities and demonstrate financial need.