The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded $519,744 in grant money to Larchmont to support the hiring of three firefighters for two years, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) announced. The grant is part of the SAFER grant program – the Staffing for Adequate Firefighter Emergency Response.
“These grants will be very helpful to the village, especially at a time when municipal budgets around the country are shrinking," Engel said in a statement. "The grant money will help Larchmont maintain local services and improve safety for all village residents. Village firefighters do an outstanding job protecting Larchmont residents and this will enable them to an even better job in the future.”
Larchmont Mayor Anne McAndrews said she was grateful for the grant and how it will help the Larchmont Fire Department.
“In these difficult budgetary times, this SAFER grant has allowed the Village of Larchmont to plan its future Fire Department needs," she said in a statement.
The grant will help staffing "dramatically," Larchmont Fire Department Capt. John Caparelli said.
"We will be able to provide more manpower to provide services to Larchmont," he said. "This is really going to be a benefit to Larchmont."
SAFER grants were established to help municipalities attain and maintain 24-hour staffing and to assure that communities have adequate protection from fires and fire-related hazards, Engel said.
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