Press Releases

Washington, DC—August 21, 2020….Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3)—alongside Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton—today announced two Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants totaling more than $1 million to support the work of fire departments in Rogers and Van Buren. The Rogers Fire Department will receive $622,291, and the Van Buren Fire Department will receive $515,867, to increase firefighter recruitment, hiring, and retention.

The members said, “Well-trained firefighters are needed to respond at a moment’s notice, and this funding will help ensure that adequate staff are available to handle emergencies and protect residents. Arkansas’s firefighters are essential to our communities, and we thank them for their service and dedication on the front lines.”

Under the terms of the grants, the fire departments will receive federal assistance for three years that will directly support the full cost of hiring new, additional firefighters. While the SAFER grant typically requires a local cost share, FEMA has waived that provision for the FY2019 SAFER program due to strains placed on fire departments nationwide by the coronavirus pandemic. Once the three-year period of performance of the grant is completed, fire departments receiving SAFER funding assume full financial responsibility for the positions the grant funded.

The SAFER grant program – which is provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – enhances the ability of local fire departments to recruit, hire, and maintain a strong staff. The program is designed to strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards and improve overall emergency preparedness levels.

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense and transportation, housing and urban development subcommittees.

womack.house.gov

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