MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency has been awarded $960,710 in federal funding to assist volunteer fire departments, U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin announced Friday.
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was announced by the senators in a joint news release.
The mission of county emergency services is to assist volunteer fire departments in providing fire and emergency medical services.
“Firefighters and emergency responders are often the first on the scene of an emergency, and they rely on their equipment to perform rescues,” Capito, R-W.Va., said in the release. “This funding ... will help the Jefferson County Emergency Service Agency ... recruit emergency responders to keep their communities safe.”
“Our brave firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line every day to keep our West Virginia communities safe,” said Manchin, D-W.Va.
SAFER is a competitive grant program administered by FEMA with the goal of enhancing local fire departments’ capacity to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association, the release said.