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Post by Box_2565 on Apr 2, 2010 23:42:55 GMT -5
City gets $6.9M for new firefighters
By Jane Prendergast • jprendergast@enquirer.com • March 30, 2010
Cincinnati has won a $6.9 million federal grant to hire 40 new firefighters.
But there's a slight catch: Before accepting the money, the city needs a waiver on a rule that requires the money to pay only for new firefighters, not for replacing retiring ones.
If Cincinnati doesn't get a waiver, it would be required to increase the current number of fireighters from 839 to 879, something that would be difficult to do in the current tight budget.
Marc Monahan, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 48, said he met with fire administration officials Tuesday morning and they had not yet heard the news of the grant. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, sent a press release announcing the award just after 10 a.m.
The need for the waiver has been a big topic among fire departments across the country, he said.
"Every city's in the same situation," he said. "Without that waiver, they can't accept the grant."
The money comes from the Department of Homeland Security's SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) program.
Monahan said he hopes the city gets the waiver so the money can be used for replacing firefighters expected to retire soon. The money can also be used to replace laid-off firefighters, but Cincinnati did not lay off any fireighters.
Last Updated: 10:47 am | Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - Cincinnati Enquirer
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