July 8, 2015

The Gates Fire District has been awarded $354,603 from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response(SAFER) program, which is a federal grant provided by the Department of Homeland Security. This grant and its purpose will fully fund three full-time firefighter positions over the course of the next two years.  These positions will help us to meet staffing levels under the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 1710 and 1720 Standards along with decreasing our current response times. These SAFER grant positions will allow for the Gates Fire District to enhance its daily operations when responding to calls for service. As our community’s population and businesses become more diverse, the requests for emergency services have grown and become more complex in nature. These new firefighter positions will help enhance the quality of life for the citizens and businesses in our community.

With the financial constraints being placed on our department, in addition to struggling to meet the requirements of the New York State Tax Cap, we would not be able to fund these positions without the help of the Department of Homeland Security. We are very grateful to the Department of Homeland Security for the awarding of these funds to the Gates Fire District and will put these firefighter positions to the best use possible in the near future. These grants will help the taxpayer, the fire district, and also for the protection of the citizens and their property.