Leander Fire Department To Receive $1.4 Million Federal Grant

LEANDER, TEXAS — The Leander Fire Department was awarded a $1.4 million federal grant to increase the number of firefighters and support their work, officials said Wednesday.

The funding comes through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, which provides direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help increase the number of trained firefighters, according to a press advisory.

“Firefighters are on the front lines of keeping our communities safe, and they deserve every resource possible at their disposal,” U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said in a prepared statement. “I applaud area leaders for their work to obtain this grant, and I’m grateful to the Trump Administration for supporting the Leander Fire Department."

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program helps fire departments increase the number of frontline firefighters, officials explained. The goal is for fire departments to increase their staffing and deployment capabilities and ultimately attain 24-hour staffing, thus assuring that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards, officials added.

The SAFER grants support two specific activities: The hiring of firefighters, and recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. SAFER is part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants and is under the Office of Grants and Training of the Department of Homeland Security.

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