Cortland receives over $400k in federal funding to recruit and train firefighters

CORTLAND, N.Y. — The City of Cortland is receiving over $400,000 in federal funding to help recruit and train firefighters.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced Tuesday $421,920 will be going to the Cortland Fire Department. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.

Senators Schumer and Gillibrand explained the funding will go towards allowing the City of Cortland to restart its “bunk in” program, which allows college age individuals to bunk at the fire station two nights each week in return for a stipend towards their housing costs.

Historically, the program has been very successful for the Cortland Fire Department--there are currently a number of career firefighters who started as “bunkers,” including Captain Will Fox.

This grant will also fund social media training, marketing training, and website redesign to help is better recruit volunteer firefighters, as well as improvements to program coordination and management.

“From being on the frontline during COVID to fighting fires, our Cortland firefighters work non-stop keeping our communities safe. That is why when I heard our fire departments were struggling to keep up staffing, I promised to deliver the fed dollars to give our heroes the support they need. So I am proud to deliver this major over $400,000 federal boost so Cortland strengthen recruitment and give youth firsthand experience to help train the next generation of firefighters,” Sen. Schumer said.

Schumer originally created the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program in 1999, which later expanded to also include the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which funded Cortland’s grant today. Currently though, both the AFG and SAFER program are at risk of being eliminated, endangering millions in funding for Upstate New York Fire Departments. Schumer is currently leading the charge to save these federal firefighting programs that are set to expire at the end of this year.

These programs have had a tremendous impact locally by allowing the Cortland Fire Department to increase critical fire protection services in our community. The funding secured here today will increase safety for firefighters and residents by putting more firefighters on first arriving equipment,” City of Cortland Chief of Fire Wayne Friedman said.