WASHINGTON   –  U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today announced that Cape Girardeau and Rolla, Missouri, are recipients of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  The total funding in the grants approaches $1 million, to be used for hiring firefighters and recruiting and training volunteer firefighters.

“These substantial awards will be a great boon to the public servants of Cape Girardeau’s and Rolla’s fire service communities.  With this room in their budgets, these fire departments will be able to expand their ranks.  This grant program is designed to boost the number of first responders serving in our communities, as well as to relieve budget pressures on fire departments. In rural parts of the nation like Southern Missouri, we encounter a lot of unique, and costly, challenges.  The SAFER grants will help us overcome some these challenges and dramatically improve the quality of emergency response and fire safety for everyone in these two communities,” said Emerson.

Cape Girardeau Fire Department     $316,275

City of Rolla Fire and Rescue      $632,550