Congressman Kim Helps Secure $200,000 in Grant Funding to Recruit and Retain Firefighters

PEMBERTON, NJ – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) announced that the Township of Pemberton received $200,000 from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) through FEMA to help recruit, train, and retain firefighters.

“I’m proud to have been able to help Pemberton Fire and the township get this grant so they can better recruit and retain firefighters,” said Congressman Kim. “My favorite part of this job doesn’t happen down in Washington, it happens here at home – being out in the community, hearing directly from constituents at each of my monthly town halls, and working hard to deliver tangible results. I’m confident this grant funding will be impactful for our brave firefighters and will help support new firefighters that want to protect our community.”

The SAFER Grant program was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities.

“We are thrilled to accept the SAFER Recruitment & Retention Grant on behalf of our First Responders and Volunteer Firefighters who continue to do excellent work in protecting our Township and responding to fire calls,” said Jack Tompkins, Mayor of Pemberton Township. “We also appreciate the support from Congressman Kim’s office in helping us to secure this funding source for the next four years.”

“The SAFER grant will be a big boost to our all-Volunteer firefighting force and will continue to help us recruit and retain capable volunteers to protect our homes, farms and businesses throughout the town,” said Craig Augustoni, Fire Chief of Pemberton Township. “We are grateful for this latest round of funding for our volunteers.”

Congressman Kim is the Ranking Member on the Military Personnel Subcommittee, and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Select Committee on China. More information about Congressman Kim’s accessibility, his work serving New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, and information on newsletters and his monthly town halls can be found on his website by clicking here.