Congresswoman Robin Kelly Presents Village of Burnham With Grant Check

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Congresswoman Robin Kelly Presents Village of Burnham With Grant Check (Burnham, IL) — The Village of Burnham received grant funds from a federal program designed to assist fire departments with training, recruitment, and retention. The check was presented by US Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Matteson) to Mayor Polk and Fire Chief John Puchalski in front of trustees, fire fighters, and police officers this morning at the fire department.

The SAFER (Staffing for Fire and Emergency Response) grant, which was issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is designed to provide critically needed resources to hire new, additional firefighters (or to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters), to rehire laid off firefighters, or to retain firefighters facing layoff, as well as recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.

Congresswoman Kelly said, “A perk of my job is getting to advocate for you to the federal agencies that provide grant funding to communities around the county. And I am here today to present a check for $126,795.00 from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security to the Village of Burnham. These funds will ensure that Burnham can build an even stronger fire and emergency management system.”

The grant writer, David Saitta, who is a firefighter and safety officer qt the village, was also present at the ceremony and said that the funds “will help the village of burnham with 15 new members over the next four years, complete with training, their basic firefighter certification to advanced firefighter certification, including emergency medical technician training, their uniforms as well as their personal protective equipment. It also includes funding for the recruitment and retention of current members and recruiting of new members.”

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