MFRD Awarded SAFER Grant

The Mobile Fire-Rescue Department was recently awarded a highly-coveted Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant in the amount of $5,360,000. The federal grant was created to provide funding directly to fire departments to help them increase or maintain 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 established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

SAFER will allow Mobile Fire-Rescue the opportunity to hire 30 additional firefighters, adding to the current roster of firefighters to date. Over the past 4 years, MFRD has added 57 sworn positions by increasing the number of positions in the annual budget and through the pursuit of SAFER grants.

Fire Chief Jeremy Lami exclaimed, “Words can’t express how excited and grateful we are for this grant. Increasing staffing levels has been a priority, and I’m pleased to see progress. These 30 additional firefighters will have a direct impact on the safety of our responders and allow us to better serve the citizens of Mobile. Staffing is also a critical component of our ISO-1 rating, and the SAFER grant will help us strengthen our status as one of the top-rated Departments in the country.”

Mobile Fire-Rescue continues to strive to improve in all aspects of its organization in order to adequately serve the City of Mobile. Individuals interested in career opportunities with MFRD are asked to visit www.cityofmobile.org/fire/about-us/recruiting-and-employment/ for details or call (251) 554-2298.