Rep. Calvert Announces City of Murrieta to Receive $2 Million Safer Firefighting Grant

Press Release

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) announced the city of Murrieta was selected to receive a $2,012,193 grant from the Department of Homeland Security's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The competitive grant will allow the Murrieta Fire Department to increase the number of frontline firefighters in the department.

"I am thrilled Murrieta was selected to receive a SAFER grant and will be able to put these resources to use by increasing the capabilities of the Murrieta Fire Department," said Rep. Calvert. "As an Appropriations Committee member I have supported funding for the SAFER program because we must ensure our communities are safe and protected. I'm grateful that the Department of Homeland Security found merit in Murrieta's grant application and will provide critical funding to the city."

Murrieta Mayor Gene Wunderlich applauds the receipt of this important grant. "Congratulations to the hard-working members of Murrieta Fire & Rescue on receiving this SAFER Grant," he shares. "This will enable us to move ahead with efforts delayed by COVID, like staffing a 2nd medic patrol and other measures that will keep our residents safer."

Background:

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program is designed to strengthen the nation's ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards and improve the nation's overall level of preparedness. The SAFER Program is appropriated by the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2019 (Pub. L. No. 116-6). The goal of any SAFER grant is to enhance the ability of recipients to attain and maintain 24-hour fire department staffing and to better assure that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The SAFER Program is composed of two activities, the Hiring Activity and the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Activity. The objective of the Hiring Activity is to award grants directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help the departments increase the number of frontline firefighters in the fire department. The objective of the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters activity is to create a more favorable working environment for volunteer firefighters to encourage current volunteers to continue with their volunteerism as well as entice new volunteers to join.

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