Peters, Stabenow Announce Nearly $425,000 in Funding for Northern Michigan Fire Chiefs Association

DETROIT, MI – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) announced $424,791 in federal funding has been awarded to the Northern Michigan Fire Chiefs Association, which represents fire departments across northern Michigan. The grant will be used to recruit and retain additional personnel. This funding comes from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.

“It is important that our fire departments have the resources to attract and retain staff to continue serving their communities safely and effectively,” said Senator Peters, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “This grant will help fire departments in Northern Michigan bring on additional staff needed to respond to emergencies.”

“Our firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our families, homes, and communities,” said Senator Stabenow. “These new resources will help Northern Michigan fire departments make sure there is always someone there to answer the call in an emergency.”

“We are very excited to receive this regional grant opportunity that will allow us to continue our effort, in conjunction with the Michigan Rural EMS Network, to assist fire and EMS agencies in northern Michigan with recruitment and retention,” said Joshua Mosher, President of the Northern Michigan Fire Chiefs Association. “Over the last few years there has been a steady decline in the number of available firefighters and EMS providers in the rural areas of northern Michigan. This grant will help us build on the programs and relationships that were begun through our last grant opportunity and to continue finding, training and retaining volunteer recruits. We would like to thank Senator Peters and Senator Stabenow for their support!”

More information about these grants can be found at: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters/safer#awards

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