The Lorain Fire Department will receive a federal grant to keep the firefighters who were laid off due to a budget crisis in the city on the job.
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur announced Wednesday that the Lorain Fire Department and the City of Lorain will get $3,181,140 in federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to maintain 22 employees that were previously laid off.
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The funds will come from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.
After the latest round of layoffs, there were only six firefighters on duty at a time in the city of 65,000 people.
The $3 million grant is only available for two years so Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer is looking for a long term solution.
Some ideas that will be discussed by council’s finance committee include joining the Regional Income Tax Agency and a fire levy on the November ballot.
