Six New Cathedral City Firefighters Begin Their Service Today
During the City Council goal setting meeting in January 2016, the Council stressed the need to increase the number of firefighter / paramedics currently serving our residents. On September 13, 2017, the Council voted to accept an approximate $1.4 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The award of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant provides federal funding for three years, consisting of partial salaries and benefits, to add six firefighter / paramedics to our fire department. In exchange for the grant, the City must pay 25% of the salaries and benefits for the first two years and 65% for the third and fourth years.
After an extensive recruiting process, six new firefighters took their Oath of Office today and began serving our City. Pictured from left to right are Firefighters Dylan McCrum, Riley Fehser-Wey, Joseph Richardson, Taylor Burchartz, Dustin Emter, Kenneth Skinner and Deputy City Clerk Tracey Martinez.
The City of Cathedral City was one of only 246 fire departments nationwide and one of only sixteen fire departments in California to be awarded a FEMA SAFER grant in federal fiscal year 2016/17 grant application process. The grant award provides federal funds to the City of Cathedral City based on a demonstrated need for adequate firefighter staffing.
Please welcome our new firefighters!
