SAFER 1199a Updates Out

[wtfd2940]

I received a 1199a update today for our SAFER hiring grant. I have my fingers crossed this time. Last year we received an update for the same grant and it was never awarded. On Monday of this week we got a denial letter for the 2009 grant. I hope we don't repeat the same in 2010. Good initial sign though....they are moving.

[LVFD301]

After sitting in a hospital waiting room since Wednesday, I could really use an 1199. You listening FEMA?

[bfd1205]

1199

Just checked a grant that I wrote for a neighboring department, got an 1199 to bring back 22 positions from layoffs and spots that were left open from a department of 58. Hope the process keeps moving to get these guys some good news for the holidays.

[Not2L84U2]

Just checked a grant that I wrote for a neighboring department, got an 1199 to bring back 22 positions from layoffs and spots that were left open from a department of 58. Hope the process keeps moving to get these guys some good news for the holidays.

Great job brother! Was this a department in Illinois? IF so, where at? Always excited for brothers from the "mother land"

[bfd1205]

The 1199 for 22 is for East St Louis Illinois, they are in desperate need of getting these guys back to work. The have been working multiple fires in different parts of town with 3 trucks and 9 FF. Many tomes 3 FF are by themselves. Hopefully this is awarded ASAP.

[bfd1205]

questions

I got the questions today on the above mentioned grant for 22 guys to get their jobs back.

[Not2L84U2]

Awesome!!!

[LeatherneckFF]

Thats great news! Hopefully the grant for Jersey City Dept of Fire and Emergency Services goes through this time! The department is severly understaffed as a result of over 100 retirements in the last year, and not to mention we have over 20 veterans on the list waiting! Keeping my fingers crossed.

[WJVaughn]

over 100 cashed out in a year? Going to make one heck of a recruit class.

[LeatherneckFF]

Jersey City, NJ

Yes its a little over that 100 now, the governer here in NJ is causing alot of people to not even think twice about retiring. I'm sure you can find alot of info by googling Chris Christie (our gov), he is really taking it hard to the teachers, police and fire unions! Our 2 biggest cities are laying off cops and firemen, Newark and Jersey city. Newark already laid off 167 police and enough firefighter retired to not cause any layoffs. Jersey City is in the same boat they want to layoff 82 police but cant touch the FD since they are so short on manpower as it is!

[BC79er]

NJ has been so business unfriendly for so long it's taken a while to hit harder on the public employees because they kept raising property taxes to cover everything. But with no jobs, not as many want/can live there, so property tax idea doesn't hold water for long. NJ is the only state that bills for work done out of state. I have to pay a fee every year if I want to be able to bill client there.

Overall problem is too many buying hamburgers today that no one can pay for Tuesday, or even within a few years. But if it gets votes why not give away more than the local economy can handle. If taxes are kept down the demands on raising pay go down, pensions funding demands grow normally instead of at exponential rates. They used the same thing down here for a long time, city paid squat while on the job with the promise of a huge pension. Couldn't fund it as needed so found themselves $1bil in the hole if all the eligible retirements happened across all city departments. Smart mayor fixed that wagon, and before anyone jumps up and down it was a Dem with business experience fixing things. That's why I like the email about how one party is all lawyers that have no real life experience except blaming others and making others pay for it, and the other is all businesspeople and those that have had real jobs that preach self-responsibility. Some exceptions on the Dem side like Ed Rendell (fixed a lot in Philly and PA) and Bill White (fmr Houston Mayor that fixed a lot) and some on the Rep side that are way out there for any party, but that's why I actually think before I vote on whose plans are actually going to fix things instead of make them worse. Can only spend so long taking other people's money...

Longer soap box than needed on average for this thread but it's all related in the grand scheme of things.

[wtfd2940]

Any word on when they may start awarding the SAFER grants?

[BC79er]

They did a software update last week and that was supposed to fix a SAFER award management module or something along those lines. They were going to try to hit at least 1 round before the end of the year. Just depended on how quickly everyone got the questions back to them. Was a very slow process last year with the rehires and layoff prevention awards since sometimes the cities turned down the money. The wording about the emergency drop of the award got the other unions in many places against each other since if someone accepts and then has a massive economic issue they have to lay off from every city department, not just target the FD. Cops, streets, parks, etc all had massive fits over that in a few places and said city can't take the award. So they didn't. Might be more of the same this year in a lot of areas.

[wtfd2940]

Received a congressional phone call today for our SAFER hiring grant. I wasn't there to take the call but I would assume they are going to start any day now.

[BCCB]

I heard of a department receiving list of Q's today. Don't know when a possible award date will be.