March 5, 2014
PRESS RELEASE FEBRUARY 27, 2014, COLUMBIA, SC …The South Carolina State Firefighters Association (SCSFA) received a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Responders) grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2012. The grant provides a total of $180,000 for the annual awarding of $7500 grants on a competitive basis to 6 South Carolina high schools offering firefighting through their Career and Technology Education (CATE) Center programs. The SCSFA received approval to award an additional grant with funds remaining from last year. “Today, the majority of fire and emergency services across the county is provided by volunteers,” said Bryan G. Riebe, Recruitment and Retention Grant Coordinator for the SCSFA. “The need is great to reach high school age students and get them interested in the fire services because we’ve learned if you have students involved early they most often will continue to serve their local communities.” Riebe said about 80 percent of fire service nationally is provided by volunteer firefighters while in South Carolina the volunteer staffing is 63 percent. And with all the pressures on individuals and families these days, the level of volunteerism has been dropping which, of course, creates increased levels of concern. Riebe continued, “A study showed that South Carolina needs to at least double its current number of firefighters to provide adequate fire protection, especially in rural areas. The schools/centers receiving funds are Barnwell County Career Center; Chester County Career Center; Dorchester County Career and Technology Center; Lancaster County Fire Services; R.D. Anderson Applied Technology Center; Sumter County Career Center; and Westwood High School. “The $7500 funds are to be used to by the local CATE for items such as firefighting equipment/supplies, textbooks, computers, or other items supporting their program,” Riebe concluded. Media Contact: Bryan Riebe, 864-313-0205 or email him: [email protected] ### CATE Grants Press Release 2-14-14, SCSFA in PDF
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