Town officials gave the Holden Fire Department the O.K. to accept a grant that will allow the hire of six new firefighters over a three-year period.
The $926,818 award from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant was created to provide funding for fire departments to help increase the number of trained front-line firefighters available in communities, according to a press release.
The $926,818 grant represents a federal cost-share of the total project cost of $1,502,946. The remainder will come from non-federal sources, according to the release. The grant is funded through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.
After Holden Fire Chief Russ Hall made a presentation to selectmen on Sept. 10 the board said they support the grant but did ask about funding for the new staff members when the grant runs out.
Hall told the board he estimates that in the first year after the grant expires, the reallocation of current funds will cover up to 45 percent of salary costs.