AC Fire union gets permission to apply for federal grant - but may not use it

Friday, March 13 2015 @ 08:23 pm EDT

Contributed by: CBrining

By LYNDA COHEN, Staff Writer from the AC Press

Atlantic City officials will file for a federal grant that could save dozens of firefighters’ jobs. But it’s still unclear whether they would use it.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant currently pays the salaries and benefits of 50 firefighters. But Mayor Don Guardian said Tuesday that the city would not apply for an extension, and instead is moving to contract out emergency services, which would halve the Fire Department’s calls.

That would mean cutting any firefighters paid through the grant when it runs out at the end of the year...Continue Reading

Atlantic City not seeking SAFER grant to fund firefighters

City Council voted Wednesday to allow the fire union to apply for the grant, although the city’s state-appointed financial overseers could later decide not to accept it.

City Councilman Tim Mancuso was the sole negative vote, having said he does not believe the city will have the money to meet it's financial requirements and keep the firefighters employed beyond the two years of the extension.

Several firefighters showed up at Wednesday’s City Council meeting in an effort to get approval to at least submit an application, which is due by 5 p.m. Friday.

But state-appointed emergency manager Kevin Lavin and state monitor Ed Sasdelli are against the move, Business Administrator Arch Liston told City Council.

He then read from the statute that gives the monitor powers over city moves, including whether to accept grants.

“I didn’t hear apply,” Councilman Speedy Marsh said.

“If this isn’t going to commit us to accepting it, to hell with the state, file it anyway,” Councilman George Tibbitt said of applying.

Liston then left the meeting to check with Sasdelli. He then spoke briefly with Fire Union President Chris Emmell and Firefighter Vince Carleo, who is heading the application process.

“We can apply,” Emmell then said.

Now, the group will work overtime with help from the International Association of Fire Fighters to get the application completed in time.

Carleo was still working details out with Liston on Wednesday night, including how many firefighters the application would request.

An increase to 86 firefighters was mentioned, bringing the grant’s value to about $18 million for two years, Carleo said.

The number is assumed to include the 50 current granted positions along with 36 positions currently paid by the city.

Guardian has said the budget calls for 186 firefighters. But Liston previously has asked Fire Chief Dennis Brooks for an organizational chart of 150 firefighters. Guardian said Tuesday that he did not anticipate going below 186.

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