MAYOR PALMIERI ANNOUNCES SAFER GRANT AWARD
Mayor Robert Palmieri today announced the City of Utica has been awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund the positions of 8 Firefighters/Paramedics for three years for a total grant award of $2.1 million.
This is a major development for the Utica Fire Department (UFD) as this grant will increase staffing of the department, reduce overtime costs and enhance fire protection and public safety services for Utica residents.
The City of Utica currently employs 124 for firefighters With the new grant, Mayor Palmieri will send legislation to the Common Council to increase the amount of firefighters to 132.
The city submitted a substantive application; which received strong support from its federal representatives, especially Senator Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
The purpose of the purpose of the grant is to provide assistance to help communities gain safe and adequate staffing. The City of Utica Fire Department has seen its calls to service nearly double over the last several years with the onset of the Covid-19 and opioid epidemics. Also, the fire station on Park Ave remains one of the busiest firehouses in the entire nation. The increase in support is welcome to help UFD meet that demand and continue to provide industry leading response times.
Mayor Palmieri stated, “My Administration, in coordination with Fire Department leadership, recognized an opportunity to increase the complement of the fire department with minimal impact to Utica taxpayers. In pursuing this opportunity, the city crafted a strong grant application that reflected the needs of the department, and it is exciting to announce the funding for 8 new Firefighters”.
Mayor Palmieri continued, “Funding opportunities like this can only be achieved through collaboration and building partnerships. All of our federal representatives supported this effort; with Senator Schumer’s advocacy playing an integral role in the city’s application being successful. I thank Senator Schumer, and all our partners, for their continued support.”
Utica Fire Chief Scott Ingersoll stated, “This funding represents an important and timely investment into the safety of our firefighters and community. The fire department looks forward to contributing to the growth and revitalization of this great city. I would also like to thank our elected representatives including Senator Schumer for advocating on behalf of the fire department.”
