Five Western New York fire companies received federal funds to help recruit new first responders. The funding, awarded during first quarter 2011, comes through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. It will be used to offer college scholarships, and will support retention by helping members meet educational needs for their family and by supporting their own education. The SAFER program is part of an effort to help fire departments across the country increase the number of firefighters, including rehiring those that lost their jobs during the economic...