CLEVELAND, OH – Mayor Frank G. Jackson is pleased to announce that the City of Cleveland has been awarded a SAFER Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for approximately $3.5 million. The funding will be used for the early recall of 21 Cleveland Firefighters who were recently laid off.
“On behalf of the City of Cleveland, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to FEMA for their continued assistance in providing vital resources for our city,” said Mayor Jackson. “These funds allow us to reduce the impact of State-imposed budget cuts and increase our ability to provide the quality fire suppression and prevention service that our residents deserve.”
Director of Public Safety Martin L. Flask, Chief of Fire Paul Stubbs and his staff, and Director of Finance Sharon Dumas negotiated with FEMA to modify the terms and conditions of the grant to obtain the maximum funding possible.
The grant will cover the cost of the salary and benefits of those recalled firefighters for a two year period. The target date for re-hiring the employees is July 11, 2011. Along with 4 other firefighters who will be recalled to cover retirements, a total of 25 firefighters will be reinstated.
The remaining 24 laid off firefighters will be recalled through attrition or other grant funding opportunities.