SAFER and stronger: Bloomington receives grant to hire 18 new firefighters

The Bloomington Fire Department was awarded its second Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in September. This grant will fund the hiring of 18 additional full-time firefighters and strengthen BFD’s ability to meet the growing safety needs in Bloomington.

The SAFER grant fully covers the wages and benefits of the new firefighters for three years. The anticipated start date for the new recruits is April 1, 2025.

“The additional staffing will improve our response times and ensure that we can meet the growing needs of Bloomington residents,” said Deputy Chief Jay Forster.

The City received its first SAFER grant in 2022, which also allowed the department to hire 18 full-time firefighters. Visit FEMA’s website, fema.gov, for more information on the SAFER grant.