New York town gets funding to hire firefighters after layoffs

  • Source: Middletown Times Herald-Record
  • Published: 09/06/2018 12:00 AM

The City of Newburgh’s fire department will receive a third grant from a federal program after the depletion of funds from the second grant forced the city to lay off five firefighters at the end of July. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney announced Wednesday the Federal Emergency Management Agency approval of Newburgh’s application for $1.5 million from the agency’s Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response program, which funds new hires for fire departments nationwide. A dozen Newburgh firefighters were initially identified for layoffs this summer as the second grant wound down and the city claimed its improved finances were still not strong enough to absorb all the extra salaries and benefits into the budget. Newburgh’s Council eventually voted to take on the costs for three firefighters and apply for FEMA funding to cover the other nine positions. Three of those to be laid off found jobs with the Arlington Fire District, and another layoff was prevented when a veteran firefighter retired.



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