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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The sweetest Fire Dept. official Carrie Edwards, assisted by Ray Barton, wrote the fema Safer grant and was awarded $6.7 million over 2 years for an additional 39 firefighters.
She had to amend the original grant after Wallings last batch of layoffs and received additional funding. A friernd jokingly asked her if she thought she could finagle a pay raise , but was shocked to find out Carrie thought she might lose her job!
The number of firefighters in fire suppression after the layoffs was 66 and Walling has cut the projected budget for next year to reflect only the 66 fire suppression officers. During the term of the grant the department must not reduce the number of firefighters including the additional officers paid by the grant. |
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Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:00 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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$6.7M grant will 'take a burden off of us,' firefighter says
By Laura Misjak | The Flint Journal
April 07, 2010, 7:39PM
FLINT, Michigan — With more than $6.7 million in federal cash heading to Flint, the city will reopen two fire stations and rehire 39 firefighters.
And — to keep the money — the city cannot cut fire staffing levels for the next two years.
It is the largest personnel grant the city has ever received — and far larger than others handed out to other Michigan cities Wednesday. The next largest was $83,000 to Howard Township, near Niles.
Rehiring will begin in the next few days, said Flint Mayor Dayne Walling.
The grant is for fire protection only, and the city’s ongoing budget problems still could lead to additional police department cuts next year, Walling said.
It will fund the 39 firefighters, including benefits, for two years. The funding also will reopen two fire stations, but Walling said he’s unsure which ones.
“All of those stations will be better staffed than they have been in recent months,” Walling said.
Raul Garcia, president of the Flint firefighters union, said he was surprised to hear the city will receive 100 percent of the amount requested. Many other cities received 10 percent to 20 percent of what was requested, he said.
“It’s a great day in Flint,” he said. “I’m just thankful it’s here.”
The grant requires the city to maintain personnel levels for the next two years. Garcia said he’s not sure what will happen after the grant runs out.
Since 46 police officers and 23 firefighters were laid off two weeks ago, there have been 51 suspected arsons in the city.
The cuts were made to help trim the city’s $8 million deficit.
“The grant to get back more firemen is wonderful,” said Vicky Hurley, 62, of Flint, who this year had a rental home catch fire because of a suspected arson. “I feel so sorry for them and how exhausted those men must be. If we didn’t have so much outside help, this whole city would be burned down.”
The 39 firefighters will be hired from the 23 who were laid off last month, as well as those who lost their jobs because of previous budget cuts, Walling said.
“This will bring our firefighting force up to a level higher than it was when I was elected,” he said.
Walling’s administration also is considering asking the state to allow the city to borrow $13 million to help relieve the city’s past and current deficits.
Under Walling’s 2011 fiscal year budget proposed Monday — even with the bond money — the city still could see an additional 10 police officers cut, Walling said.
Walling said the additional public safety layoffs could be avoided with “double-digit contract concessions” from the city’s public safety unions.
“They needed to do something because I tell you, ever since these layoffs, Flint’s gotten bad. It’s gotten very bad,” said Brian Konese, 34, of Flint. “I wish they would do that for the police, too.”
The grant — called Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Program — is part of federal stimulus funds.
“Firefighters’ honorable service and willingness to put themselves in harm’s way protects our homes, communities and families on a daily basis,” said U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee, D-Flint, who announced the grant Wednesday. “This grant is extremely good news for Flint, and I am proud that I was able to bring these funds to our community.”
Ray Barton, a safety training officer with the fire department, said firefighters wrote the grant. He said the extra help will ease some stress for the department.
“People are fighting five or six fires a night,” he said. “It’s really taking a toll on us. This will take a burden off of us.”
Staff writer Kristin Longley contributed to this report. |
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Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:05 pm |
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LakeWoman50
F L I N T O I D
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| So I am sure Mayor Walling will get all the credit right? |
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Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:17 pm |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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Nope looks like kildee is gonna try to take credit. Did I miss something in the original post?
U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee, D-Flint, who announced the grant Wednesday. “This grant is extremely good news for Flint, and
I am proud that I was able to bring these funds to our community.”
???? |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
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Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:50 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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quote:
twotap schreef:
Nope looks like kildee is gonna try to take credit. Did I miss something in the original post?
U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee, D-Flint, who announced the grant Wednesday. “This grant is extremely good news for Flint, and
I am proud that I was able to bring these funds to our community.”
????
______________________________________________________________________
Absolutely right! Eason presented Carrie and ray about the grant and told council he would invite them to the press conference. Freeman then told him it was already in the paper. |
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Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:58 pm |
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FlintBeerMan
F L I N T O I D
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| untanglingswebs you got it wrong |
_________________
Flint is a place where people live cause they can't afford any place else to live. |
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Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:00 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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quote:
FlintBeerMan schreef:
untanglingswebs you got it wrong
What is wrong? Raul Garcia explained it this way, as did Carrie.
watch the video Sunday at noon, but this part won't air until about 2 p.m. as there was 3 special orders before the announcement. |
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Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:46 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Lori Dougovito and Matt Franklin
FLINT (WJRT) -- (04/07/10)--Millions of dollars in grant money could put more firefighters back on the job in Flint.
It would allow for dozens of laid-off firefighters to be rehired. This is about the federal safer grant news that came about last week. It's worth upwards of $6.7 million. Late Wednesday afternoon word came from Congressman Dale Kildee's office that Flint in fact had been awarded the money. The fire department applied for the money. If the city says yes to the money, it would mean up to 39 laid-off Flint firefighters could be back on the job for two full years. This could mean men and women laid off dating back to January of 2008 and including 23 firefighters recently pink slipped, according to firefighter union president Raul Garcia. Garcia says it could mean two currently closed fire stations could be reopened as well. Laid-off Flint firefighters could be called back to work in the next few days, according to the Walling administration. Walling is expected to discuss additional details at a press conference Thursday afternoon. Members of the Flint Fire Department applied for the SAFER grant nearly two years ago. Two firefighters wrote the grant, and say they are still waiting to hear official word from the government. As a condition, the city must maintain its current staff level of 68 for the next two years. One of the criteria is that all of your first-responding units will have to be four-man pumps. Those on the front line are looking forward to the extra help that'll be sent their way soon.
(Copyright ©2010 WJRT-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) |
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Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:18 am |
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lacyw
F L I N T O I D
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| The only stipulation on that money appears to be that they have to keep a certain level of staff for the next two years. Who will control this money? I hope Walling doesn't use it to find more useless staffing positions for a few more cronies, while expecting the firefighters that are hired back to do so with paycuts and concessions. City council, do your job, watch where this grant money goes and make sure it is the fire department and the people of flint receiving the benefit of this grant! |
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Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:06 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| How much of the general fund money budgeted for the fire department will Walling take out for other purposes, now that we got the grant? |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:38 am |
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Crowfeeder
F L I N T O I D
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This is great news ! I think it shows an acknowledgement ,at the Federal level ,that the Fire Dept staffing is not at an adequate level.
Its also clear to me that the same dangerous staffing level continues with the Police Dept.
We need more cops on the street or lots more body bags. This is the reality our local Pols need to have their noses rubbed into . Flint NEEDS 100 MORE police and will still be below Detroit levels. |
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Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:41 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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"Members of the Flint Fire Department applied for the SAFER grant nearly two years ago. Two firefighters wrote the grant, and say they are still waiting to hear official word from the government."
If they applied two years ago that was under Williamson- SAFER helps fire depts improve their grant applications, This department has written grants for fire trucks in the past.
The police department also has some good grants people.
FEMA will monitor the grant and I believe they must make quarterly reports. That will prevent Walling from abusing the grant. Good thing is additional manning of stations is required making the firefighters jobs safer. |
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Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:46 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| I spoke to Ray Barton and the union is fighting to keep Carries job. It appears the administration tried to lay her off based on seniority and not on job classification. |
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Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:30 pm |
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FlintBeerMan
F L I N T O I D
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| why is walling taking the credit then? |
_________________
Flint is a place where people live cause they can't afford any place else to live. |
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Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:01 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| If you saw the press conference with Kildee, you would have seen dale bring out the 2 firefighters and say they wrote the grant. Walling looked sick. He probably didn't even know the application was out there. The two worked on it for 2 years. FEMA works with grants writers to help them write a successful grant. |
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Sun Apr 11, 2010 10:15 am |
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