Syracuse Fire Department Awarded $7.5 Million SAFER Grant

Published on September 06, 2024

Syracuse, NY- Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Chief of Fire Michael Monds announce that the Syracuse Fire Department has been awarded $7,595,180 in federal funding. The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response(SAFER) program. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand delivered the news to the City of Syracuse and Syracuse Fire Department leadership earlier this week.

SAFER Grants were created to provide funding directly to fire departments to help them increase or maintain the number of trained "front-line” firefighters. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments’ abilities to comply with the staffing, response, and operation standards established by NFPA 1710. The Syracuse Fire Department was previously awarded SAFER grants for twelve firefighters in 2016 and again in 2020.

“FEMA’s SAFER Grant will aid the Syracuse Fire Department in providing more efficient services to meet the needs of a city growing in population and new housing, increasing safety in our neighborhoods. This grant will also better support those firefighters who serve our city, bravely protecting our community and those who live in it. I thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their continued support of our department and city,” said Chief Monds.

“The Syracuse Fire Department has earned a reputation as one of the best fire departments in the nation. The SAFER and FEMA AFG Grants will help ensure our city has the appropriate staffing and training to meet the demands of a growing city. I thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their continued commitment to public safety and emergency services response for the people of the city of Syracuse,” said Mayor Walsh.

The $7.59 million award, the largest grant the Syracuse Fire Department has ever received, will provide funds to hire twenty new firefighters, covering their salaries and benefits for three years. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand have already helped secure over $5 million for the Syracuse Fire Department through the Assistance for Firefighters Grant, AFG, and SAFER grant programs.

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