Firefighters in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota will get some help this year, after the federal government awarded more than $10 million in grants to departments across the state.
Minnesota fire departments win more than $10 million in federal grants
Minneapolis will use the grant to hire 15 more firefighters, bringing the city's Fire Department to its highest authorized strength in two decades.
October 20, 2022 at 10:27PM
![Minneapolis firefighter Mike Jorgensen taught children at the Nellie Stone Johnson school about their jobs and the equipment they use during the Hartford for Fire Safety Day at the school, Tuesday, May 15, 2018 in Minneapolis, MN. More the 200 students at the school were deputized as junior fire marshals. The kids were able to get into a mock house that simulated fire and smoke dangers, met local firefighters, and toured their truck and gear. ] ELIZABETH FLORES • liz.flores@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/5X5OUPB56KU3XJ5GMB4W5GE4OE.jpg?&w=712)
Minneapolis received a $4.5 million federal grant to pay for 15 more firefighters. That award, called the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, will run over a three-year period starting March 1.
City leaders celebrated the news in a news release Thursday, adding that the new hires would increase the force to 434 sworn personnel with plans to host up to 445 firefighters.
"I am very excited about the SAFER grant award to the Minneapolis Fire Department," Fire Chief Bryan Tyner said in the news release. "As MFD incident responses continue to rise each year, the award will allow the department to add an additional 15 firefighters to our ranks, bringing the MFD to its highest authorized strength in approximately two decades."
Minneapolis is not the only city that's earned federal support.
The Bloomington Fire Department received $6.2 million from the SAFER grant, which will be used to hire 18 full-time firefighters. St. Paul did not receive the same grant this year, but did earn $1 million from the Assistance to Firefighters grant to help pay for equipment, training and other operations costs.
St. Paul's Deputy Fire Chief Roy Mokosso said that grant will pay for 18 staffers' paramedic training, 90 sets of firefighting gear and 430 physical exams to detect cancer and cardiovascular disease — conditions that firefighters' work makes them more prone to.
"We'll continue to evaluate opportunities to apply for grants," Mokosso said. "It is great that both Minneapolis and St. Paul are applying for federal grants, and that they are also receiving them to support both staffing and other public safety initiatives."
St. Paul's Fire Department did request $125,000 in its budget presentation this year in order to train and hire more firefighters. The City Council is expected to vote on that budget request this December.
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