The Powhatan County Fire and Rescue Department recently learned that it had received a major windfall in its efforts to attract and keep volunteer firefighters when it received a grant worth more than $500,000 for that purpose.
The department previously applied for two Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) fiscal year 2015 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. Fire and Rescue Chief Steven Singer said the county learned this month that it would receive a grant for $533,368 for volunteer recruitment and retention through the Department of Homeland Security. The award is not a matching grant, so it requires no local funding. “With volunteer fire and rescue services, it is challenging to effectively attract the essential number of volunteers to meet our current service demands. This SAFER grant will have a direct impact on our recruiting efforts, including a fully funded part-time position to oversee the program,” Singer said.