Grant saves Huntington firefighter jobs

HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WANE) - The Board of Public Works and Safety approved a federal grant that will allow six laid off firefighters to return to work.  The firefighters are expected to return to work in mid August.

The Huntington Fire Department will receive $817, 360 from the SAFER grant, a Homeland Security program to help staff fire and emergency response teams.

Last November, city officials laid off the six firefighters because of budget cuts.

Originally created for the hiring of new emergency responders, the SAFER grant was later revised to include funding for laid off workers.  Fire Chief Matt Armstrong said the decision to apply was made quickly.

"There wasn't much thinking about it.  We knew that we needed these firefighters back and we went ahead and applied," Armstrong said.

According to Armstrong, the adjustment to working without six firefighters on staff for the past eight months was stressful and tiring for the department.

"It gives us two extra bodies each day to go out and fight fires," Armstrong said.  "Especially in this 90 degree weather that we've been having... Guys go through air bottles and then once they get through those air bottles there's nobody else there to pick up the slack."

The grant money will pay the firefighters' salaries and benefits for two years.  In that time Armstrong said the hope is that Huntington's financial health will improve in order to keep the fire department and other city department staffed once the grant ends.

"I just hope this jumpstarts [the various city departments] getting their employees back to work also."