Danvers Awarded $1 Million Federal Grant To Hire 3 Firefighters

DANVERS, MA — The Danvers Fire Department will use a nearly $1 million federal grant to hire and train three new members of the department.

The town said the Federal Emergency Management Agency grant will fund the new positions for three years before their cost is absorbed into the town budget.

The $996,627 grant is part of the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) program designed to provide direct funding to departments to help increase or maintain "front line" firefighters in their communities.

Officials said the three positions will bring the department staffing level to 48 and allow it to "better maintain minimum staffing on each of its four groups and enable the town to begin thinking long-term about how to staff the fire prevention office at a level commensurate with the complexity and expectations of the Danvers community."

"I am very happy to bring the department's staffing level up to 48 members, this will not only allow us to meet the NFPA Standard, but it will decrease the burden on our current officers and firefighters who must work extra shifts to keep us afloat and should result in a decrease in overtime costs," Danvers Fire Chief Robert Amerault said.

Amerault credited Deputy Fire Chief Brian Barry for assisting in the application process.

"Competition for funding in this program was fierce, and I am proud of the fire department's work to obtain this grant," Danvers Town Manager Steve Bartha said. "This award will enhance the safety of our community and our firefighters' quality of life, while at the same time helping us to better manage overtime, injuries and mental health."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)