HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - A federal grant will enable seven firefighters to be hired in Huntington, where budget woes in West Virginia’s second-largest city prompted layoffs earlier this year.
The Huntington Professional Fire Fighters Association says in a news release that the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the city fire department a $714,000 grant through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program. The association says it worked closely with the International Association of Fire Fighters in applying for the two-year grant.
Seven Huntington firefighters were among 24 city employees laid off in January as Huntington Mayor Steve Williams announced $2.6 million in budget cuts.
Association President Raymond Canafax says the grant is a “good first step toward restoring public safety” in Huntington.
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