Press Releases

Dunmore, PA – Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright announced the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded a Staffing for Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant of $809, 621 to Dunmore Fire Department. The funds will be distributed via the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

SAFER is designed to strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards, and improve the nation’s overall level of preparedness. Grant funds enhance recipients’ ability to attain and maintain 24-hour fire department staffing and to assure communities have adequate protection from fire-related hazards.

“I am pleased to announce FEMA’s award to the Dunmore Fire Department. It will allow them to hire 9 more firefighters,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. “Our firefighters are the front line of defense in our neighborhoods when an emergency strikes. This funding is essential to ensuring that our citizens have quality service and firefighters have a more favorable working environment.”

FEMA’s mission is to support citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. The SAFER program provides approximately $340 million in competitive grants to fire departments and statewide or local volunteer firefighters support groups. No less than ten percent (10%) of the funding must be awarded for recruitment and retention activities and no less than ten percent (1o%) must be awarded to volunteer or mostly volunteer fire departments for hiring firefighters.