The Ellis County Press: Red Oak awarded grant for firefighters

Red Oak awarded grant for firefighters
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Editor on 10/05/2006 00:00:00


SHERRY LONG
_The Ellis County Press_
RED OAK - Using a $617,760 grant from Homeland Security, the City of Red Oak
will be able to hire six additional firefighters.
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant would pay a portion
of the firefighters' salaries for five years.
'This will increase the number of firefighters per shift,' Red Oak City Manager
Ken Pfeifer said.
Homeland security officials said the grant was designed to provide money so fire
departments could increase its staffing and deployment capabilities.
'The SAFER grant will enhance their efforts by giving them tools they need to
help increase the number of frontline firefighters and ensure staffing needs are
being met,' U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis.
Currently the city has a 20,000-square-foot police/fire station at the
intersection of Ovilla Road and Methodist.
Next May, a 6,000-square-foot police and fire substation was scheduled to open
at the intersection of Pierce and Pratt Roads on the southside of Ovilla Road
between Texas Highway 342 and Ferris.