By Patricia Madej
The Philadelphia Business Journal
About $22.9 million in federal funds will help the Philadelphia Fire Dept. with new hires and hopefully ease the amount of looming overtime costs.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the money to the department Thursday through the Department of Homeland Security for hiring as a part of its Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Program.
“I think its great because it’s going help us increase our firefighter forces,” said Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer.
Sawyer said the money will help the department hire about 160 new firefighters. There’s about 2,100 members in department, the majority of which are firemen or women.
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