The Daily Herald recently published an article highlighting how the Naperville Fire Department has received a significant SAFER grant, which will help support staffing costs over the next two years.
Managing a fire department is no easy task—balancing shifts, personnel, and hours can be a real challenge. But for Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis, things just got a little easier with the recent announcement of over $1 million in federal funding through the SAFER program. This grant, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is aimed at helping fire departments maintain adequate staffing levels.
The SAFER grant, which stands for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, is designed to help departments avoid staff cuts or rehire firefighters who have been laid off due to budget constraints. In Naperville’s case, the money will go toward salaries and benefits for new firefighter/paramedics.
Puknaitis said the grant could allow the department to hire three new firefighter/paramedics, helping to fill six vacant positions in the operations division and two administrative roles that have gone unfilled in recent years. “It’s important because it’s a million dollars and it’s something that is going to help us maintain our staffing levels,†he said.
The funds must be used exclusively for personnel and benefits, not for equipment or building improvements. The city also has to maintain its current staffing level for the duration of the two-year grant period. Recruitment for the new hires must begin within 90 days of receiving the award.
According to Puknaitis, about 2,500 fire departments across the U.S. applied for SAFER funding, but only between 300 and 350 were approved. That makes this win even more significant for Naperville.
Meanwhile, the Naperville Sun reported that the city's firefighting agency also received a similar grant, thanks to the efforts of local lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Bill Foster and Sen. Dick Durbin. The $1,002,000 award was announced as part of the same SAFER program, and it will be distributed over the next two years.
Foster emphasized the importance of supporting first responders, stating, “It is critical that we make sure our first responders have the tools they need to keep our communities safe.â€
Puknaitis noted that the department has been preparing for this wave of retirements for some time. During the city’s growth in the 1970s and early 1980s, firefighters were hired in large groups, and the number of stations increased from three to 10 today. Now, with many experienced firefighters nearing retirement, the need for new hires has become urgent.
While the new hires will be paid less than their retiring colleagues, they lack the experience that comes with years on the job. Still, Puknaitis sees the grant as a crucial step in maintaining service quality. “An award like this helps me tremendously in getting approval for positions that I have in my budget,†he said.
“A million bucks over two years is huge,†he added. “And they don’t give that kind of money to just anybody.â€
Thanks to Dan and Chris for the updates. And yes, “firefighting agency†is definitely a strange way to refer to a fire department—but maybe that’s just the way the news goes these days.
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