The City of Canton Fire Department was chosen as a recipient of a 2016 Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Grant, allowing it to rehire 10 previously laid off firefighters, according to the city's press release.
The SAFER Grant is a $1.45 million award that will be used by Canton to bring fire staffing to an adequate level for the next year, said Safety Director Andrea Perry.
RELATED: Round of layoffs hit Canton Fire Department
“The awarding of the SAFER grant to the Canton Fire Department is great news for the City of Canton and the firefighters who were laid off," said Fire Chief Thomas Garra. “We will make every effort to bring them back as soon as possible. Hopefully, this step is the beginning of returning our firefighter staffing to an adequate and safe level.”
The FEMA website says that the SAFER Grant was established to provide direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help increase or maintain the number of frontline firefighters in their communities.
