City Accepts $1.1M Grant to Hire More Fire Fighters

The city has accepted a $1,118,600 million SAFER grant to hire more firemen. 

Accepting the grant also means that the staffing level of the Hoboken Fire Department will be at at least 75 firemen, Fire Chief Richard Blohm said. 

During Wednesday's meeting, Blohm attended Wednesday night's council meeting to explain to the council why the department needs more firemen. 

This is not the first SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant the city receives from the federal government. 

after staffing levels weren't maintained. In order to receive that money, the city would have had to hire 15 firemen, which would have amounted to more than $250,000, according to then-Business Administrator Arch Liston. 

Blohm has appeared in front of the city council before, asking for more manpower. 

Next year, Blohm said, 17 members of the HFD are ready to retire. Ten of them have already filed the necessary paperwork.