June 16, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2014 The South Carolina State Firefighters' Association (SCSFA) recently announced the awarding of a $1.5M Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Responders grant from the Department of Homeland Security. Bryan G. Riebe, Recruitment/Retention Coordinator for the SCSFA stated that over the four years of the grant, $1,282.500 will assist 11 counties which do not have high school career and technology centers (CTC). The 11 counties are: Allendale, Bamberg, Berkley, Calhoun, Chesterfield, Hampton, Jasper, Laurens, Marlboro, McCormick, and Union. High School CTC’s have been the focus of SCSFA efforts for establishing a Firefighter II certification level curriculum with proceeds from a 2011 SAFER grant. The South Carolina Department of Education approved the new curriculum for use beginning in the Fall of 2014. The 11 counties will receive assistance in implementing the South Carolina Fire Academy 1700 firefighter series. According to the SCFA website this new course is “intended specifically for S.C. firefighters-volunteer and career-that enables them to train for S.C. Fire Academy certification in a modularized format.” The SAFER grant provides funding for this training, OSHA compliant physicals, personal protective clothing, and a one-time length of service award payment (LOSAP) to active program participants. The goal of the grant is to add 900 new volunteers in these 11 counties. In addition to funding the recruitment coordinator position for one year, grant funds will be utilized to hire a retention coordinator who will interact with CTC students, fire academy candidate school enrollees, and entry-level firefighting students. The retention coordinator will discuss the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation (NFFF) 16 life safety initiatives, the SCSFA F.A.S.T. (Firefighters' Assistance Support Team) outreaches, benefits of the SCSFA, and assist with SCSFA recruitment programs.
South Carolina
Firefighters' Association
111 Westpark Boulevard
P.O. Box 211725
Columbia, South Carolina 29210
Email: [email protected] Phone: 1.800.277.2732 Fax: 1.803.454.1801
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