(The Center Square) –Three fire companies in Philadelphia will use a $22.4 million grant to resume operations, according to an announcement from President Joe Biden.
Ladder 1 in Fairmount, Ladder 6 in Fishtown and Ladder 11 in South Philadelphia will use the money to pay salaries and benefits, boosting the city’s overall capacity to respond.
In 2022, the city’s fire department responded to more than 3,200 structure fires, including one that engulfed a house in the Fairmount neighborhood, killing 12 people.
Biden reflected on the deadly blaze during a news conference on Monday at the Ladder 13 firehouse.
“On the day of the Fairmount fire, if the company hadn’t been decommissioned, Ladder 1 would have been the closest truck to the fire,” he said. “God only knows whether it would have been able to get there that much earlier to save some lives.”
“When I spoke to the city officials here, I’d do everything I could to bring Ladder 1, as well as others,” Biden added.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said Biden’s visit to the city shows he “gives a damn,” echoing the value of funding first responders at both the state and federal levels.
Biden’s trip marks the ninth he’s made in 2023. He’s also reportedly attending a campaign event in the city later Monday.
“We recognize the importance of making sure those who run toward danger every single day to keep up safe have what they need,” he said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded $360 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants to 177 fire departments and organizations as of Sept. 20.
