July 26, 2010 - ORLANDO, FL - Today the Orlando City Council, led by Mayor Buddy Dyer, officially accepted a federal grant that will allow the City to retain 46 firefighters whose positions would have been eliminated as part of budget cuts due to the effects of the recession.

The funding is part of the federal government’s SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Program. The grant will cover the firefighter’s salaries and benefits for a two year period with no matching funds required.

“This will ensure that our residents and visitors continue to benefit from a level of protection that is second-to-none in America,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “Securing this grant took a collaborative, bipartisan effort from Central Florida’s elected leaders. I want to specifically thank U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, U.S. Senator George S. LeMieux, U.S Representative Corrine Brown, U.S. Representative Alan Grayson, and U.S. Rep Suzanne M. Kosmas for their willingness to partner with us to obtain this critical funding.”

“These funds will help put a lot of folks at ease and ensures the Orlando Fire Department has the resources it needs to adequately protect and serve the public,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.

“Cities across Florida are facing difficult budgetary decisions, therefore funds provided by the SAFER grant are critical in maintaining first responder staffing and deployment capabilities,” added Senator LeMieux. “I pushed hard for the Orlando Fire Department to receive $8.4 million to retain 46 firefighters so that residents and visitors will continue to be provided with effective emergency services 24 hours a day.”

“I am thrilled to see this much deserved federal funding will be awarded to our firefighters in Orlando. The Orlando Fire Department plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of our community, and it is absolutely essential that the staffing levels at the Orlando Fire Department remain at the current level. I am certain that this funding will go a long way towards making sure this happens so that the firefighters who are retained will be able to continue their exemplary work,” said Congresswoman Corrine Brown.

“Our hard work paid off,” added Congressman Grayson. “This is a perfect use of federal grant dollars. The money will preserve highly-skilled local jobs, bring more federal money into the district, and help keep the public safe.”

“Keeping our communities safe must always be priority number one,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas. “This grant will provide the critical funds needed to keep Orlando’s firefighters on the job so they can continue their brave efforts to safeguard our homes, our neighborhoods and our families.”

The SAFER grant is expected to be distributed to the City of Orlando later this year.

Fiscal Year 2009/2010 Background Information:
The City of Orlando had to address an approximate $40 million budget deficit to arrive at a constitutionally-mandated balanced budget for fiscal year 2009/2010. In addition to substantial cuts in operating and maintenance budgets, the City eliminated several hundred positions, of which 222 were filled. This included forty-six (46) firefighters receiving official notice from the City that their position would be eliminated effective October 2, 2009, which was the beginning of the 2009/2010 fiscal year.