As Albemarle continues to prepare for growth, that includes the need to hire personnel to respond to emergencies no matter the cause.
On Tuesday, the county announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded a $7.1 million to hire two and a half dozen fire fighters. The funding comes through the agency’s Staff for Adequate and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program and will cover salaries through January 2027 according to county spokeswoman Abbey Stumpf.
“With the support from the Board of Supervisors and County leadership, our department is proactively identifying and addressing ways to deliver professional and consistent services to the people of Albemarle County,” said Fire Chief Dan Eggleston in a press release.
Fourteen of the 30 positions will eventually be used to guarantee around the clock service in the southern portion of the county. The rest will be used to staff a ladder truck that will be based at the Monticello Fire Station.
“This unit will be staffed with specially trained personnel to address more complex incidents that arise in our community including water and technical rescues,” the press release continues.
Albemarle and Charlottesville have both previously used SAFER grants to augment its public safety ranks.
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Additionally, this was posted during a time I’ve upgraded to a new WordPress theme. Some things may not look as they should. But, it’s a fun experiment!
