WASHINGTON – The Vails Gate
Fire District has been awarded $207,000 in Department of Homeland Security
funding for a tuition reimbursement program that will help recruit new volunteer
firefighters who are looking to attend college or vocational school while
serving the community.
The funding will also help retain existing firefighters who may otherwise
not have the time to continue their department service because they need
to work an additional job.
The money comes from the SAFER grant program established by FEMA to provide
funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest
organizations to help them increase the number of trained “front line”
firefighters available in their communities.
This is the same program that has just awarded the City of Newburgh a third
round of $1.5 million to maintain its paid firefighter level and $110,000
to the Beacon City Fire Department to hire a recruitment coordinator. Newburgh
operates a full-time paid department while Beacon has a hybrid department
of paid firefighters and volunteers.
