After receiving a grant from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, for $462,500, the East Lansing Fire Department is looking to hire more people.
The grant goes to staffing three more people over three year span.
During the school year, ELFD serves almost 95,000 people.
“20 years ago, we were doing about 2,200 runs per year. Now we’re close to 6,000 runs per year,” Captain Leo Allaire of the fire department said.
The department currently staffs 48 people… a minimum of 11 on each shift.
This grant will allow them to have 12 staffed per shift.
“All of our hirees have to have all of their firefighter training and they also have to be a state certified paramedic,” Captain Allaire.