PATERSON — The city is asking the federal government for $14 million to help pay its firefighters over the next two years, funding that officials say is needed to avoid possible layoffs in the upcoming budget crisis.
A City Council resolution said Paterson wants to use the federal funding to retain 56 “firefighters who are facing imminent layoff” and to hire three new members for the Fire Department.
City officials said they hope the money from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program will help them close an impending $18 million shortfall in the 2023 municipal budget.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to close this massive deficit,” said Fire Chief Brian McDermott. “We’re looking to identify ways to increase revenue responsibly.”
McDermott said Paterson would get about $6.8 million in 2023 and $7.2 million next year if the federal government approves its grant application. The chief said that decision probably won’t come until the summer.
Leaders of Paterson’s fire unions did not respond to messages seeking their comments for this story.
The city set aside $39.5 million for Fire Department salaries in its 2022 budget. Paterson has about 370 firefighters and would lose about 15% of its department if 56 members were laid off.
City Council President Shahin Khalique said he doesn’t think such layoffs are likely. Khalique noted that a large portion of the shortfall stems from increased fees imposed by the state health benefits program. The council president said he expects that state officials will end up reducing the size of that increase.
City officials previously projected that half the projected shortfall — about $9 million — stems from increased health insurance costs. Khalique said the administration is working on making other budget cuts to reduce the deficit, such as limiting overtime spending.
When asked about the plan to use the federal money to avoid layoffs, Mayor Andre Sayegh said, “The safety and well-being of our community is our top priority, and the SAFER grant will ensure that we can maintain the necessary levels of fire protection without compromising staffing.”
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The SAFER program has $360 million this year for fire departments nationwide, according to Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr.’s staff. Paterson’s largest SAFER grant came in 2015, when the city received $7.5 million to hire 49 firefighters, the congressman’s office said.
“If our community needs assistance to keep its fire department whole, my office will work with local leaders to do whatever we can to bring federal support to the Paterson FD,” said Pascrell, who was the city’s mayor in the 1990s.
The SAFER grant can be used to retain firefighters already on the payroll only if they have gotten formal layoff notices, federal officials said.
Paterson has received almost $18 million from the SAFER program since 2006, according to Pascrell’s office.