Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced that the Scranton Fire Department has been awarded $2,596,047.50 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program to support the hiring of ten firefighters to join the department’s ranks.

“We need to support all our first responders to ensure they can always be there for us in times of need,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “This award will help create jobs and improve emergency response in Scranton. In Congress, I’ll keep working to invest in our first responders, because it’s a direct investment in public safety – and public safety is a cornerstone of healthy, vibrant communities.”

“This grant will cover the salary and benefits for ten firefighters for three years,” said Scranton Fire Chief John Judge. “The SAFER Grant Award will give us the ability to deploy our personnel in a manner to enhance the safety of the community we serve and the firefighters who respond to emergencies in the City of Scranton. The City of Scranton is committed to making the City a safe and resilient community and this Grant will assist with those efforts.”

The SAFER grant program assists fire departments in increasing the number of firefighters to meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate fire protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The fiscal year 2020 SAFER program was funded by Congress at $355 million. It was funded at $360 million in FY21, and for FY22 the House Appropriations Committee is working to enact a $10 million increase for a total of $370 million.