The room was filled with Clifton firefighters, who listened nervously, hoping for relief from the Clifton council's recent decision to close Fire Station 2. "This is a new day," Pascrell said. "Funding that had evaporated in the last eight years is coming back."
Nevertheless, while the federal stimulus package has $1 billion under the new COPS Hiring Recovery Program to hire, retain or rehire police officers, the money set aside for fire fighting only applies to new firefighters and new construction of firehouses.
Although the new federal grant program is "a happy occasion," said Bill Lavin, president of the New Jersey Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association, "unfortunately some local municipal mayors and legislators do not share this zeal." He added that the recent layoffs in Clifton jeopardizes safety in nearby towns. "We're only as good as our weakest link."
Lavin confirmed afterward that the federal spending program won't help laid-off firefighters.
"It doesn't apply to us," said Charles Stauhs, one of the Clifton firemen who lost his job. He added that, without the aid of Fire House 2, there were four firefighter injuries in Clifton in just the past week.
Separately, Pascrell announced that the Montclair police department had received $66,000 in federal grants. That was from the ongoing Justice Assistance Grant program.