08.25.17

Durbin Visits Roberts Park Fire Protection District, Touts Importance Of Federal Funding For First Responders

JUSTICE – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited the Roberts Park Fire Protection District, which was awarded $569,674 in federal funding last month through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program.  The SAFER grant will allow the fire protection district, which includes Justice, Hickory Hills, and parts of unincorporated Cook County, to hire additional firefighters. 

“Our nation's firefighters and first-responders are called upon day-after-day to protect our citizens. As these brave men and women put themselves in harm’s way, we must ensure that they are fully staffed and equipped with the best training and tools possible,” Durbin said.  “I’m proud to fight for funding that will support our first-responders in Justice, Hickory Hills, and across Illinois.”     

The SAFER program seeks to enhance a department’s ability to maintain 24-hour staffing and ensures that the community has adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. 

The Roberts Park Fire Protection District Department has 17 full-time and 35 part-time firefighters who respond to more than 4,000 calls a year.