WILDWOOD, NJ – The Wildwood Fire Department (WFD) has received a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant to hire four new firefighters, announced Commissioner of Public Safety Steve Mikulski.
According to Mikulski, “The $1.53 million award will stabilize the department's budget by reducing the unpredictable overtime costs currently straining city resources. Equally important, this stability is expected to prevent the need for reliance on heavy overtime and the implementation of further restrictions on time-off policies, which will improve the quality of life for Wildwood’s firefighters.”
Importantly, Chief Ernie Troiano III noted that the addition of the four new personnel will help the WFD meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1710, which calls for four firefighters on first-due engine company, a significant portion of time. “With the addition of one firefighter per shift, we expect to meet this standard more than 80% of the time,” he said. “When you consider that the department responds to an average of 4,100 calls each year, it is easy to envision how this award and these new firefighters will help us better achieve our mission of protecting people and property.”
FEMA received 2,161 SAFER applications requesting $3.17 billion in funding during this current round, with very few expected to be funded, thus making this an extremely competitive program.
In addition to providing crucial fire suppression and emergency services such as EMS, technical rescues, and hazardous materials response, Wildwood firefighters also perform vital fire safety inspections on commercial properties and are active community members, participating in programs like Adopt-a-School, senior outreach, and memorial events. The added staff would allow WFD to continue its proactive role in the community.
“The Department and the City are deeply appreciative of this SAFER award and of FEMA’s commitment to Wildwood,” Troiano concluded. “We look forward to welcoming these new firefighters to our department for the continued safety of our community.”
Deputy Chief Daniel Dunn stated, “I could not be more pleased. This is great news for the City of Wildwood and our department. We will continue to aggressively pursue all grant opportunities that enhance our ability to provide the highest level of service to our residents and visitors. As always, it was an absolute pleasure working with Triad on this project, and we look forward to collaborating on future projects.” Triad Associates, of Vineland, NJ, is a community and economic development firm that has secured more than $1.6 billion in critical funding for its client over the past 46 years.