Congressman Presents Aberdeen Fire Department with Check for $486K
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson visited Moore County on Thursday to a present a much-needed check to the Aberdeen Fire Department.
The $486,611 grant was provided through the Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, program. It will be used to partially fund the salaries of six new firefighters.
It was a triumphant moment for Fire Chief Phillip Richardson, who has worked for five years to secure the money.
“It’s a tremendous help,” Richardson said. “With this grant, we’ll be able to better serve our citizens.”
The staffing increase will help the department satisfy a federal mandate requiring four responders for each emergency call. As a condition of the grant, Aberdeen must pay 25 percent of the new firefighters’ salaries for the next two years. The town will be on the hook for 65 percent of the cost during the third year.
After the three-year funding period ends, Aberdeen will be required to pay the firefighters’ full salaries in order to retain the six positions. The annual cost will be approximately $263,000.
“This is a significant number we’d need to be prepared for and find a way to make that happen,” Town Manager Paul Sabiston told the Aberdeen Board of Commissioners earlier this month. “I recommend we plan to rethink it after the first three years and assess our needs.”
Hudson, whose district includes Moore County, said he was proud to present the grant to the department.
“We’ve got a tremendous fire department here,” he said. “They do a terrific job, and this will give them the resources to add positions that were really needed here.”
At the fire station, the congressman posed for photographs with firefighters and town officials. While touring the facility, Hudson and Aberdeen Mayor Robert Farrell received a bird’s-eye view of the town from the raised ladder of a fire engine.
The department will have 22 full-time firefighters once the new positions are filled. Richardson says the increase will allow the agency to have six firefighters on hand for every shift.