Atlantic City has landed a federal grant that will allow it to avert laying off 51 firefighters for two years.
Word of the 2-year, $8.7 million grant came on Wednesday.
The city initially received $9.7 million in 2011, a year after budget cuts forced layoffs in the department.
“It’s a great Christmas gift for the guys,”Fire Union Chief Chris Emmell told The Press of Atlantic City. “For the city residents, too, that we’ll just be able to have the coverage (of the city) that we need. It’s a big sigh of relief.”
The grant should keep firefighters on duty for the next two years.
Mayor-elect Don Guardian told the paper he wants to establish a fund to put aside money to continue paying firefighters after the new grant expires.
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