Rep. Mike Thompson Announces Over $480,000 in Grant Funding for Arcata Fire Protection District

Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) today announced that the Arcata Fire Protection District will receive $483,236 in grant funding to help recruit new volunteer firefighters in the Arcata, McKinleyville, Bayside, Manila, and Jacoby Creek communities. The funds, which are provided through the Department of Homeland Security's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, will preserve public safety and create good-paying jobs.

“During these tough economic times, one of the things we can't afford to cut is funding for our firefighters and first responders,” said Rep. Thompson. “This grant will help ensure local fire departments have the personnel they need to keep our community safe. We can't choose when the next fire or natural disaster will strike, but we can take steps to make sure our fire departments are as prepared as possible.”

“We're thrilled to have received this crucial funding,” said Arcata Fire Chief John McFarland. “The SAFER grant will allow us to support and enhance the volunteer firefighters who protect our community by providing them with disability insurance, educational assistance, and a modest pay-by-call system to lessen the impact that volunteering has on their families. This will be a huge benefit to our community as well as our department.”

Nationwide, the SAFER program provides competitive grants to fire departments and volunteer firefighter support groups. The objective of the program is to help these departments increase the number of trained, frontline firefighters available in their communities. Grant funds may be used to recruit and retain new firefighters, or to rehire firefighters who were laid-off due to the economy.