In mid-June Fire Chief Greg Corn announced that the Marysville Fire District will receive $560,000 in a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.

"Thanks to the hard work of the Board of Directors, administrative staff and firefighters, we have been able to secure a federal SAFER grant that will allow us to rehire the three firefighter positions that were laid-off April 2011," Corn said.

"We have been searching for alternative funding to meet the needs of the community and the SAFER grant helps to fill that need," he continued. "At the end of the day, the safety and well being of our residents and firefighters will always be our top priority."

The three firefighters will begin working August 1 as part of the timeline established through the grant award process. The Marysville Fire District will receive monies to fund these firefighters for two years, the length of the grant period. Unlike other FEMA grant programs, no matching funds are required from the district.

This marks the first time the Marysville Fire District has applied for the federal staffing funding. Highest consideration is given to departments that have lost employees due to layoffs and attrition.

"Keeping our communities safe must be our top priority - especially in tough economic times -- and that's why we worked so hard to seek resources needed to get the job done," stated Corn.

The SAFER grant was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments' abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards.

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