SAFER and Stronger: City of Bloomington Receives Grant to Hire 18 New Firefighters

Bloomington, MN — The City of Bloomington is proud to announce that the Bloomington Fire Department has been awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This grant will provide funding to hire 18 additional full-time firefighters, strengthening the BFD’s ability to meet the growing safety needs of the Bloomington community.

The SAFER grant provides funding to fully cover the wages and benefits of new firefighters over the next three years, significantly boosting the BFD’s staffing capacity. The hiring process is expected to begin within the next few months, with an anticipated start date for the new recruits around April 1, 2025. More information about the hiring process will be shared as details are finalized.

“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. “We’re grateful for the support of the Mayor, City Council and Bloomington residents who have all played an important part in securing this funding.”

The SAFER grant marks a significant step forward in the BFD's ongoing mission to enhance service performance. Insufficient staffing in recent years has impacted the department’s ability to meet its response-time and staffing goals. The new hires will help address this by allowing the department to better meet safety goals and improve the quality of service for the Bloomington community.

This is the second time Bloomington has been awarded a SAFER grant. The City received its first grant in 2022, which also allowed the department to hire 18 full-time firefighters.

Visit FEMA's website for more information on the SAFER grant.