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Hudson Announces Grant for Fayetteville Firefighters

September 15, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) announced today that a $2.88 million grant has been awarded to the City of Fayetteville to hire additional firefighters. The grant is from the Department of Homeland Security's FY 2019 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. In June, Rep. Hudson wrote a letter to Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Pete Gaynor to advocate for this funding for Fayetteville.
"Every day, firefighters serve our community bravely and deserve our full support," said Rep. Hudson. "I was proud to advocate for this funding and thank the Department of Homeland Security for awarding this SAFER grant to Fayetteville. I will continue to work with partners at all levels to keep our community safe."
The SAFER program is administered by FEMA in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.
In Rep. Hudson's letter to Administrator Gaynor dated June 3, he wrote, "The Fayetteville Fire Department administers life-saving service to the diverse communities of Cumberland County and the sprawling Fort Bragg military installation. Averaging over one hundred responses each day, the Fayetteville Fire Department provides fire suppression, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and emergency medical services. The SAFER grant would fund a total of 18 new firefighter positions and allow this important work to continue."
Rep. Hudson also said this grant was critical as many fire departments have seen significant revenue reductions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More information on the SAFER program can be found here.
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