Daniela Berson
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) The Prince George’s County Fire Department will receive more than $3.5 million in federal funding through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program.
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski as well as Maryland representatives in the House announced the funding plan on Thursday.
The Fire Department is using the funds to hire 24 full time firefighters, who will receive training, benefits and job security until at least 2017.
Mark Brady, Chief Spokesperson for Prince George’s County Fire and EMS, said that it will take a few months for the new hires to start.
“These 24 firefighters won’t be on board for a couple months after they go through hiring process and the academy,” he said, “We need to get them through the academy and on the streets so they can start helping everybody.”
The “Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response” grants program, SAFER, was created to facilitate emergency responses to large scale disasters like hurricanes and snowstorms.
But the new firefighters will be on staff full time, lending more support for general emergency situations throughout the county.
Copyright 2015 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: FlugKerl2, Wikimedia Commons)
