With an ongoing construction schedule to replace Middletown’s decades-old fire stations, city leaders are hopeful to have a robust staff with seven additional firefighters in place to serve them. City council authorized staff last week to apply for a Department of Homeland Security Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant to add seven firefighters to the fire division. The grant is totally funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for three years, then the city will have to pay for the salaries and benefits of the additional staff. City Manager Paul Lolli said the city’s annual estimated cost at the end of the grant is $785,000. He said the staff feels confident in the financial plan that the city will be able to absorb the cost once the grant runs out.