Danville Fire Chief Don McMasters says the department could receive more money from a federal grant to fund the hiring of more firefighters over the past year.
Over a year ago, the department received a grant to hire six new firefighters. McMasters says the Danville Fire Department has hired three additional people since that time. He says grant money from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response fund, or SAFER grant, could aid in those hires.
“We can not only apply to retain those six, but we can as well, potentially apply to retain all those that have been hired since those six, to maintain that number,” he said.
McMasters says he would like to hire one more person to bring the department to full staffing levels on the third shift. But he says if the city does not get approved for the grant, then that person does not have to be hired.
He said the application for the SAFER grant has not opened up yet but will soon.
Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. also says the Danville Police Department is taking applications for new officers through the end of the month. He said he is hoping to have a more diverse police force, but emphasized that people have to apply in order to be considered.
An application form can be found on the city’s website.
