Dee DeQuattro
ddequattro@abc6.com
Pawtucket Firefighters have received over $4 million in federal funds to help the city hire new firefighters.
On Monday, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined by Congressman David Cicilline and Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien announced that Pawtucket has qualified for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant which is expected to add 21 firefighters position and help to force restore the fire department to its size of146 members.
Due to budget cuts 16 vacated positions in the fire department were unable to be filled. With the SAFER grant money it is expected that the pay and benefits for the 21 new positions over the next two years.
With a population of 71,000 residents Pawtucket has a very active fire department responding to 13,723 calls in 2011 and assisting neighboring communities 574 times the same year.
