Merced Fire Department getting funding for increased staffing, equipment upgrades
That money will go towards hiring 24 additional firefighters, bringing the department up to four-person engine crews.
MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Merced Fire Department is set to receive millions of dollars in federal funding.
The city council approved a grant for close to $9 million from FEMA.
That money will go towards hiring 24 additional firefighters, bringing the department up to four-person engine crews, which is considered standard staffing
The department says adding personnel will also make it easier to open up a new station in the community of Bellevue Ranch.
"We'll be able to hire local people, bring them on and get them well trained so when it comes time to open Station 56, then we'll have these well-trained vetted firefighters who have ties to the community," says Merced Fire Chief Derek Parker.
The department also received approval for a nearly $930,000 grant in partnership with the Atwater Fire Department.
It will allow for the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus.
The equipment provides air to fire crews going into dangerous environments, such as those filled with smoke or gas.
