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The Porterville Fire Department was successful in applying for a $ 1.5 million grant to hire six more firefighters.
The $ 1.5 million grant, the staffing for adequate fire and emergency response, SAFER, was awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday.
Congressman Kevin McCarthy, whose district represents Porterville, sent a letter to US Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas requesting the grant.
Following an investigation into the Porterville Fire Department’s response to the February 18, 2020 fire that destroyed the Porterville Public Library and killed Porterville Fire Captain Ray Figueroa and Porterville Firefighter Patrick Jones , it was determined that the Porterville Fire Department needed six more firefighters. The department applied for the SAFER grant to pay the firefighters.
“Porterville was upset last year following the Library Fire where we tragically lost two heroes in our community, Fire Captain Ray Figueroa and Firefighter Patrick Jones. Ensuring Porterville has the resources to protect our first responders will continue to be my priority, ”said McCarthy. “This federal funding will help the Porterville Fire Department hire six additional firefighters as well as support retention and recruitment efforts, and I was proud to support the Department’s request.
“I want to thank Congressman McCarthy for assisting us through his letter of support, which I’m sure was a factor of approval, ”said Porterville Fire Chief Dave LaPere . “This has been a team effort from Congressman and his staff, City Council and City Manager, and my Deputy Leader Byran Cogburn who oversees our grant programs. We are convinced that the addition of these six new firefighters will increase response times and ensure greater safety for firefighters. Once again, thank you very much for your support! ”
Also as a result of the investigation, it was determined that the Porterville Fire Department required a Deputy Fire Chief and Cogburn was appointed to this position.
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