Bipartisan legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH) would improve an existing federal grant program used by local fire departments to hire firefighters.
“A fire in a home or business can mean anything from an inconvenience to the unthinkable. Highly-trained frontline firefighters provide lifesaving service to communities across Ohio,” Rep. Carey said. “Fire departments’ ability to rely on a strong front line, year after year, is invaluable. We are proud to join this bipartisan effort to ensure our communities have the resources and personnel they need to respond to fires safely and effectively.”
The congressman on Monday cosponsored the Enhancing SAFER Grants for Local Firefighters Act, H.R. 9606, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) to expand the eligibility of certain recipients for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants.
If enacted, H.R. 9606 would expand the SAFER program to allow fire departments to also utilize the grants to recruit and retain firefighters through recruitment and retention bonuses.
Additionally, the legislation would allow fire departments’ applications to the SAFER grant program to be valid for five years, instead of the current one year, in an effort to reduce the cost and administrative burdens faced by local fire departments in having to apply annually, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Carey’s staff.
H.R. 9606 has been endorsed by the Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union Local 48 and the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters.
“For our communities to be safe, we need experienced and well-trained firefighters on the ground and in our neighborhoods. But right now, with recruits in short supply, public safety is being jeopardized,” said Rep. Landsman. “By providing bonuses for recruitment and retention and making the process easier for our local departments to access these federal dollars, we’ll be investing in our firefighters right here in southwest Ohio and across the country.”