Chief Larry Farley is excited to announce that FEMA has awarded Rutherford County Fire Rescue a $1.7 million dollar ‘SAFER’ Grant, that provides salaries for 15 additional full-time fire fighters. The grant will be sent for County Commission approval in mid-October, and hopes are that the new fire fighters will be on board by November.
The added personnel mean that Rutherford County Fire Rescue will have greater responding capabilities for the community. This is essential, given the increasingly high call volume that has resulted from the rapid growth in the county. It also increases the likelihood of expanding operations including fire suppression and vehicle rescue, from 2 fully staffed paid stations in the county to three.
SAFER Grants are awarded by FEMA, who administers the SAFER Act which was enacted by congress in 2004 in response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing. The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
